


Capsize

by gertiemcfuzz, sgvirtualseason



Series: Supergirl Virtual Season [10]
Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Aliens, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Bisexual Female Character, Canon-Typical Violence, Dimension Travel, F/F, Femslash, Journalism, Lesbian Character, Smut, Terrorism
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-21
Updated: 2017-08-25
Packaged: 2018-12-18 09:27:04
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 25,800
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11871405
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gertiemcfuzz/pseuds/gertiemcfuzz, https://archiveofourown.org/users/sgvirtualseason/pseuds/sgvirtualseason
Summary: Mxyzptlk, a strange visitor from the fifth dimension, arrives to profess his love for Kara who rebuffs his affections until he presents an ultimatum that makes him hard to refuse. Turning to Cat and Alex, Kara is forced to weigh her options and make a decision that could change the course of their history. With Alex focused on her sister, Lucy steps up to keep the pressure on Cadmus, reaching out to Maggie in the process for help and a listening ear. Winn cracks the code, or rather writes one, that allows the Team to finally collect data from Hank Henshaw, but a past mistake could be enough to crash his system for good, risking the search for Jeremiah in the process.





	1. Act I

Check out this magical poster for episode 9 by @ofpensandcupcakes. Let her know how much you appreciate her work in the comments or in her [Tumblr ask](http://ofpensandcupcakes.tumblr.com/ask). 


	2. Act I

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mxyzplk arrives with flair and a proposal, leaving Cat annoyed and Kara anxious to learn more about their newest interruption. J’onn shares a painful memory, revealing his own history with visitors of the fifth dimension. Later, an argument between the Danvers Sisters reaffirms their commitment to each other.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another @xy0009 special! ([ao3](http://archiveofourown.org/users/xy0009) | [tumblr](http://xy0009.tumblr.com))
> 
> For these brilliant editors, much thanks:  
>  catherinegrant ([ao3](http://archiveofourown.org/users/catherinegrant) | [tumblr](http://catherinegrant.tumblr.com/ask)), @spaceshipsarecool ([ao3](http://archiveofourown.org/users/spaceshipsarecool) | [tumblr](http://spaceshipsarecool.tumblr.com/ask)), and @musetotheworld ([ao3](http://archiveofourown.org/users/musetotheworld) | [tumblr](http://musetotheworld.tumblr.com/ask))

“I’m sorry, you’re who now?” Kara asked, moving to put herself between Cat and their mystery guest.

“That, my dear, depends on who you ask. Some have called me a magician, others an alchemist, and many have just called me a God,” he said with a waggle of his eyebrows, “but I was brought into this world and I shall leave it as Mxyzptlk.” He snapped his fingers, and his name appeared in marquee lights above his head, causing Kara to blink at the brightness.

“The other boy band members take the vowels with them when you broke up?” Cat moved to stand next to Kara, making every part of her five foot five and a half inch frame known. She was apparently keen to ignore the concerned look Kara was directing her way, giving off the impression that she was hardly phased at the turn their night had just taken.

“Ooohkay, right,” Kara said, trying to break the tension. “Mr. Mxyzptlk–” she started, hoping she could get him to leave without having to call in backup.

“You, my lovely, can call me Mxy.” He reached out to take her hands in his own.

Kara took a step back, her hands slipping out of his, catching one of Cat’s instead to pull her away from the man as well, but the other woman stood her ground.

“Listen, Stranger Danger, I don’t know what kind of backwoods planet you’re from, but on this one, even five-year-olds know to keep their hands to themselves.” Cat’s voice was confident and dangerous, and Kara wondered how much she’d been missing this part of herself.

The expression on his face almost perfectly matched the look any musician in the middle of a speech gave Kanye when he so much as shifted in his seat.

“Thank you for the advice, Ms. Grant, but I’m afraid I won’t be needing it. Just as you” – he snapped his fingers – “won’t be needing to voice any more of your _helpful_ insights.”

Cat made to reply, but even with her superhearing, Kara couldn’t make out anything more than the exhale of air from her lungs.

Kara placed one hand on the small of Cat’s back, the other reaching up to hover near her cheek for just a second before dropping to her shoulder instead. She examined Cat’s face looking for signs of distress but found only a determined loathing.

“Undo it.” Kara tossed a fierce look over she shoulder at Mxyzptlk. “Whatever you did to her, undo it.” She punctuated her words with a gentle squeeze to Cat’s shoulder.

“Worry not, dear Kara, she’s perfectly fine, and she’ll be back to her opinionated self as soon as you listen to my proposition.”

Kara looked to Cat, who rolled her eyes but nodded, crossing her arms and tapping her toes impatiently. Kara took a breath and squeezed Cat’s shoulder one last time before letting her hands drop back to her sides. She kept Cat in the corner of her eye and turned her attention back to the stranger in front of them. The marquee lights had disappeared, but Mxy remained, now dressed in a sleek tuxedo. His hair was slicked back and his mustache trimmed, and he wasted no time launching into his spiel.

“You can’t imagine how hard it’s been for me, Kara darling, waiting for you for all this time, lonely in the knowledge of our love,” he pouted, his shoulders slumping forward, “but not a second more.” He spun on his heel, gliding across the room with a flair.

 _“She loves me, true she doesn’t show it, how could she, when she doesn’t know it?”_ he sang almost to himself. Flowers appeared around the room, candles following to light the slow path he was making.

With a flourish he turned back, obviously impressed with himself. “I have traveled across thousands of universes, visited every imaginable planet and yet, I have never seen a beauty quite as radiant as yours.”

Cat tossed her arms up and begin to pace. Kara tried to stay focused on Mxy, hoping he’d get to his point so she could get rid of him in a way that wouldn’t draw attention from Snapper and Carter who, from what her x-ray vision could tell, were still oblivious to the strange visitor just down the hall from them. The last thing they needed was for Carter to play the hero a second time that day.

“I must admit, when I first saw your pod break free of the Phantom Zone and crash land here of all places, I was simply intrigued, and who wouldn’t be? A brilliant child from an almost royal family, landing on a primitive planet. The last heir to every custom, every piece of knowledge, every nuanced last detail of what made their society so exceptional, only to find that the very reason she was sent there had outgrown the need for her help. Even someone with my intellect couldn’t conceive of such a story.

“I would find myself periodically checking in on you, to see how you were meeting this new world’s challenges, and I’m not too proud to say that I expected you to fail. Surely your cousin would have, if he had been in your position.

“Your resilience is what first drew me in. I slowly became more invested. When you caught that plane last year, I knew it was more than a mere coincidence that your pod caught my attention all those years ago.” A manic grin broke out on his face. “You’re my soulmate, Kara Zor-El.”

“I’m your what, now?” Kara tossed an arm out just in time to stop Cat, who looked ready to tear into Mxy, voice or no voice. Cat pressed her nails into Kara’s arm, but she made no other move to push forward again.

“Nobody else could ever match my abilities. Until you. Together you and I will be unstoppable. The places we can go, the adventures we can have, that we _will_ have. All you need to do is agree,” he continued, ignoring her obvious confusion. “Marry me, Kara Zor-El, and let me make you the happiest woman in any universe.” He bent down, and as soon as his knee hit the ground, Kara found herself standing in white silk, her hair pulled back elegantly.

Kara gripped at the material with her free hand. Her suit now sat folded neatly over the back of the chair, surely Mxy’s attempt at being considerate. She turned toward Cat, who looked just as shocked as Kara felt, and Cat’s hold on Kara’s arm loosened.

“Listen, I don’t know if you noticed, but I’m kind of already in a thing with someone?” She wished she and Cat had had time to discuss what everything going on between them even meant.

They’d only kissed a few times, but there was still something more than that, something she really wanted to understand; something she wouldn’t walk away from just because some guy in a halfway decent suit asked her to.

Mxy sighed and stood up, slipping the ring he’d been holding out back in his pocket. “She will never be able to understand you the way that I do, Kara. Nobody on this planet will, you know that. The most advanced technologies that exist here are basic principles that you mastered by the time you reached school age, if it was even worth teaching to you at all. Your intellect is being wasted here. You would never experience that with me, I can know as much or as little as I want with a snap of my fingers.”

Kara opened her mouth to speak, to explain to him all the ways the people here understood her better than he ever could, but he held his hand up to stop her. Kara could hear the annoyed huff Cat let out behind her at his gall.

“The only thing in this universe that I am not in control of is one’s ability to exercise free will, which, very unfortunately, includes the ability to make you love me. So I ask you, just think about everything that could be possible if you joined me. Think of all the worlds we could save, together.

“I won’t ask for an answer now. However, I implore you to strongly consider my proposal. I think you’ll find my power enticing, if you give yourself a chance to see it.” He winked, but it came off more threatening than charming.

“And when I have my answer?” Kara asked.

“Don’t worry, sweet Kara, you’ll know where to find me.” With that he was gone, in the same flash of light he’d appeared in.

“–just burst in here like some kind of petulant child and demand–” Cat stopped, reaching up to touch her throat.

“Have you been silently ranting behind me for the past ten minutes?” Kara was amused despite the circumstances.

“Fatal Attraction appears out of thin air, puts his hands on you, ruins what was looking to be a promising evening for us both with what sounded very much like an ultimatum.” Cat plucked a petal off of a nearby rose and flicked it away, watching it flutter over the edge of the balcony railing. “And all we know for sure is that he has predictable taste in flowers, and you look good in Vera.”

“I’m not sure I would have gone sleeveless on my own.” Kara looked down at the dress. She hadn’t thought much about what she’d wear on her wedding day, at least not since she was a child, and then she’d always imagined something more traditionally Kryptonian. Suddenly, Kara felt overly aware that she was standing in front of Cat in a dress that could put a lot of pressure on a relationship they didn’t even have a word for yet.

“Hmm,” Cat hummed as her eyes swept over her, critical in a way that Kara felt had less to do with professional opinion and more to do with personal appreciation. “No, no, you have the bone structure for it, not all women can say that.” Cat stepped forward to run a hand over the valley of Kara’s collarbone.

“You were ready to go up against him,” Kara breathed out, putting up a valiant effort not to let her eyes flutter shut at the contact. “For all we know he could have ‘magic-ed’ you to Antarctica, but you stood up to him. For me.”

“I must admit, I was particularly annoyed that yet another voluble miscreant interrupted our _time together_. I apologize if I overstepped. You’re more than capable of speaking for yourself. You proved that today in spades. I just couldn’t stand watching _another_ man put his hands on you without invitation.”

Kara’s brow furrowed slightly. Cat’s words made perfect sense for the situation, she’d always been protective of Kara’s autonomy, but there was something about the nonchalance with which her eyes continued to study the stitching on Kara’s dress that didn’t meld with her words, unless… “Cat?” Kara pulled Cat’s hand from where it was toying with the tulle on the dress.

“I keep being reminded lately that, for all my power, I’m still of limited use if things get physical. Do you have any idea how frustrating that is?”

“If that’s really something you’re worried about, Alex could train you. She’s been training Maggie.”

“I’m sure Detective Sawyer is a very attentive pupil.” Cat smiled, but it wasn’t quite as teasing as it would normally be.

“Gross,” Kara groaned. “My sudden need to bleach my brain aside, I’m sure Alex really would be happy to show you some moves, maybe build on those martial arts lessons you had been taking? A few short sessions and you won’t have to worry about that guy, because you’ll be able to break his arms.”

“Once we confirm that imp’s _anything_ can be broken,” Cat responded with a squeeze to Kara’s hand.

“You’re right,” she said, blowing a breath out in frustration as she snapped back to reality. “I guess I should head to the DEO to tell them about this and see what I can find out about who and what Mxy is.”

“And I suppose I should gather my wayward boy from Snapper. Even emerging heroes need sleep.” Cat sighed. “I saw one of your men-in-black doing one last sweep of the floor; I’ll ask him to escort Carter and me home.”

“I’m sorry, Cat.” Kara followed Cat to her desk as she began to gather her things. “This was supposed to be your first day back and that was taken from you, twice. I wanted a nice, easy day, and now I’m rushing off again. We haven’t even had a chance to talk yet, about any of this–”

“You don’t have anything to apologize for,” Cat said, holding up her hand when Kara began to interrupt. “I’m too exceptional for normal anyway.”

Kara laughed, glad Cat’s returned confidence hadn’t wavered in the face of this new obstacle. “So you like the dress, huh?” Kara asked, hoping to keep the lightened mood intact.

“Mixing Bowl won’t be getting a job at Kleinman’s anytime soon, but it’s an improvement over those cardigans you favor.” Cat reached out to examine the fabric closer, the attention making Kara blush, heat rising up her neck as Cat rested a hand on her hip, still studying the dress for flaws.

“You, uh, you wouldn’t happen to know how to get out of this thing would you? I can’t really, you know…” Kara made a flying motion with her hand.

“I have worn a few of these.” Cat’s eyes twinkled as she finally tore her gaze away from the dress to look Kara in the eye. “I suppose I can offer my assistance. Turn, please.”

Kara did as she was told. Cat brushed her hair away, her fingertips just barely skimming Kara’s shoulders. A second later Kara felt her dress loosen as a cool breeze hit her now exposed skin. As she turned back, Cat’s hands trailed along the curve of her hip, and Kara remembered at the last minute to bring her hands up to hold the dress in place. She caught Cat smiling at the near slip, though she tried to hide it.

“So… I should, um.” Kara gestured toward the private bathroom in the far corner of Cat’s office.

“Yes, of course.” Cat cleared her throat and took a small step back to let Kara pass. Their shoulders brushed and Kara had the urge to say to hell with it and let the dress fall there and then, but as she turned and saw the almost shy way Cat was regarding her as she passed, she reminded herself that all good things come to those who wait.

***

“Aw man, you’re whole again?” Winn whined when she walked into the DEO. He was the only one, aside from a few third shift techs, sitting in the bullpen.

Kara laughed. “I’m glad you’re so happy to see me feeling like myself again.” She lightly kicked his foot as she leaned against the desk in front of him.

“Careful, careful,” he said around a wince. Whether he meant his foot or his equipment, she wasn’t sure, but she shifted nonetheless. “And sorry, I’m glad to see you back to normal. I was just thinking of this great trick we could pull on Vasquez, and Boss Man refuses to help, but two Karas…” An excited and slightly devious look crossed his face.

“No way am I getting in on your thing with Susan. She’s terrifying.” Kara looked around. “Speaking of Vasquez, where is everyone? I thought the team was coming here to debrief.”

“Alex wanted in on Donovan’s interrogation. I think she feels bad about missing the action today, but she and J’onn should be wrapping it up for the night. Everyone else is by the loading dock. Vasquez is taking a strike team to transport the black kryptonite to the base out west. Lucy just got back from L-Corp to debrief with J’onn, but she wanted to see Vasquez and her team off first to make sure they have all possible routes accounted for.” He pulled up a feed of Lucy and Vasquez securing cargo onto a convoy.

“I could take the kryptonite to the Fortress with the rest of it, as long as it’s secured. I can get it there and locked away without a problem.”

“And have you suddenly split in two over the Pacific?” She heard her sister’s voice behind her. “Not a chance, Supergirl. I want to study that stuff more anyway, see how it was made, make sure there won’t be lasting effects to your neurocognition.” Alex grabbed Kara’s face, examining her closely as she spoke. “For now, the desert base is the safest place to store it. Kryptonite, in any form, is probably more valuable to Cadmus than the good doctor. At least if they try to get it back, we won’t have civilians in the way.” Alex released her hold on Kara and took a step back to look at the monitor above their heads, where Winn had switched the feeds so they could see Donovan as he paced his cell.

“Did he give you anything valuable?” Kara asked as she adopted her sister’s stance at her side.

Alex shook her head. “He just keeps repeating the same phrase over and over again.”

“’The time has come,’ said the walrus, ‘to speak of many things,’” Kara guessed.

Alex looked at her sister curiously. “Either you’re both a fan of Carroll or telepathy is one of those neurocognitive effects I was talking about.”

“I heard him say it to Cat before I got whammied. Snapper and I were on our way back to her office, and Cat was arguing with him about what he wanted her to say. He said that phase and her demeanor changed. She stopped arguing with him and seemed… compliant, I guess? But it was a ruse. She wanted him to think she was on his side while she figured a way out of the whole thing. I meant to ask her about it, but–” She stopped, realizing she’d come to the part where she’d have to tell them about Mxy.

“But?” Alex prodded.

J’onn and Lucy were walking into the bullpen, and Kara figured now was as good a time as any, with everybody in one place.

“He’s good for the night, right?” Kara nodded toward the screen that still showed Donovan pacing.

“Restrictive access, a surveillance team on him all night, and nothing in his cell but the cot. If he changes his mind about talking, we’ll go in, but otherwise we’re going to let him wear himself out and hope he doesn’t try anything,” Alex confirmed.

“I even stopped by and made J’onn double check Donovan’s cell with me,” Lucy added.

“You think he’d be stupid enough to try to escape?”

“Not from his cell, but he could be a risk to himself,” Alex said diplomatically.“He just failed a mission that Cadmus must have had a reasonable amount of confidence in. Chances are they’ll want him back. If he’s working for them, then he knows what they’re capable of, and what they’ll do to him.”

Kara swallowed and nodded, trying not to think too much about what Alex was implying. The DEO had the situation under control. They were taking all the necessary precautions to keep everyone safe. That had to be enough for now.

“Are you going to tell us why you look like a potsticker shortage was just announced?” Alex asked, earning a sigh from Kara.

“After you guys left, Cat and I were… talking,” she said, not able to hide her blush, causing Alex to groan and Lucy to smirk, “and I looked up and this guy was standing on the balcony.”

“What guy?” J’onn asked, the only one to maintain his professionalism.

“He said his name was Mxyzptlk, and that I was his soulmate.” The words left a bad taste in her mouth. She looked at Alex. Her sister had studied every Fort Rozz escapee. If Mxy had somehow missed the boat when she launched the prison into space, Alex would know. When she saw no recognition, she turned to J’onn, who was pinching the bridge of his nose tightly.

“You know him?” Kara asked.

“No, but I’ve known others like him,” J’onn said, hands dropping to his hips. “Fifth-dimensional beings who possess the ability to warp time and space around them at their leisure. Earth is no stranger to their random appearances. Genies, seers, warlocks even, all names to explain what shouldn’t be possible. They tend to create chaos for their own pleasure, often disguising it as a prank to align with their own misshapen code of conduct. There is little that they can’t do, the only exceptions that I know of being tied to one’s own free will.”

“Is there any chance he’s working with Cadmus?”

“It’s unlikely,” J’onn told her. “These beings, imps, they’re beyond narcissistic. They see themselves as gods. They won’t even work with each other in most cases. I don’t see any reason why this Mxyzptlk would work for Cadmus. They’d be inconsequential to him.”

“Then what does he have to gain by having me… work with him?” Kara shifted from foot to foot as she stole glances at Alex. This would be yet another roadblock in getting Jeremiah home.

“If J’onn is right and Mxyzptlk is following a code of conduct, there are certain lines he can’t cross without retaliation by his own people,” Lucy answered. “You aren’t bound by those same rules. With you on his side, he could do whatever he wants without consequences.”

Everybody stared at her for a minute until she spoke up again, unwavering under their gaze. “What? I spent more than half of my life watching a narcissist with stars on his sleeve do the same thing.”

J’onn reached out to pat her shoulder, while Alex gave a stiff nod, and Winn looked at his feet awkwardly. Kara was the only one who didn’t look away. Lucy didn’t need her pity, she needed her solidarity. They’d all been avoiding bringing up Lucy’s father, but Kara knew what it was like to have the image of your parents falter when reality intruded on the simpler and yet imposing views from childhood. She liked to think that if Krypton hadn’t been destroyed, she would have condemned her parents’ actions. But without seeing those actions through the lens growing up on Earth provided her, she could never be sure. Kara wouldn’t hold it against Lucy, if she struggled with that same dilemma.

“I know we haven’t talked about it, but I want to be clear,” Lucy broke the silence. “Whatever role my father is playing in Cadmus, I will bring him in with the rest of them. My place is here, and these are my people – my family – and I will do what needs to be done to keep all of us safe.” She made eye contact with each of them, her resolve never wavering.

Kara threw her arms around Lucy, holding her tight enough to make her back pop, the only sound in an otherwise silent room. Alex reached out to give Lucy’s forearm a squeeze where it rested on Kara’s back. Winn looked ready to jump in and make it a group hug when J’onn cleared his throat.

“Now that we have that out of the way…” he started, giving Lucy an out.

“Right.” Kara pulled back, turning so one of her arms was still draped around Lucy’s shoulders. “You said you’ve met fifth dimensional beings before?” Kara asked, turning to J’onn.

“A few times on Mars, before the camp…” He looked away to the screens above them, though Kara doubted he was seeing anything on the displays. “They targeted Martians without a mate, without families. They would play tricks for a while before they got bored or were banished. I chased one or two when I was Martian Manhunter, but they always disappeared before I got close. I didn’t meet one in person until I was on Earth, almost forty years ago.

“Her name was Gsptlsnz, and I was tired and lonely. This was years before I met your father, before I found a purpose again that didn’t involve hiding in the shadows. In a moment of weakness, I reached out telepathically. I dared to hope that if there were any survivors, we might find each other. It was a risk, but after two centuries on the run, I needed something more.

“Gsptlsnz came to me, disguised as a Green Martian. Her abilities allowed her to intercept my telepathic transmission, and because those from the fifth dimension are not bound to time and space the same way we are, she was able to gather information about my past that she used to manipulate me.”

Kara exchanged a look with Alex. Suddenly J’onn’s hesitation and betrayal over M’gann hiding her identity as a White Martian became clearer. Kara didn’t know what she would have done in his position. She’d been disappointed enough when Mon-El had revealed that he was a Daxamite.

“I eventually learned the truth and was able to banish her back to the fifth dimension, but it took longer than I’m proud of, and it wasn’t easy. Short of killing them, the only way to get rid of an imp is to trick them into saying their name backwards. It’s an unusual rule, but one that’s tied to their code of conduct. Many of them think they’re too cunning to fall for the trick. I was able to sneak Gsptlsnz’s name backwards into an old Martian proverb used during traditional Martian ceremonies. She was blinded by what she perceived to be her triumph, and didn’t realize until it was too late that she had unknowingly banished herself.”

Alex cleared her throat. “We’ll have to come up with a way to banish him then, preferably without needing to build a chuppah. J’onn was by himself when he was targeted by Gsptlsnz, but you’re not. We’ll come up with something, together.”

Kara stepped into her sister’s space, bending slightly to give them the illusion of privacy.

“Alex, you need to keep searching for Jeremiah. I can figure this out.” She crossed her arms, mentally begging her sister to listen for once in her life. “I’m sure James will help, and Winn. It will be like a superfriends reunion, and I know Cat is going to have _opinions_. She’s already expressed a few of them. _‘Stay on Cadmus’s trail; they wouldn’t have sent Donovan to CatCo today if they weren’t feeling the heat. We need to keep that momentum going.’_ ”

“I can’t bring Dad home without you. I won’t,” Alex assured her, laying a hand on Kara’s upper arm. “He needs both of us to be here when he gets back. _I_ need you to be here. I won’t let some fifth-dimension fuckboy ruin that. Winn is still working to gather intel from Henshaw’s cybernetics without inducing unnecessary damage, and we need to let Donovan cool off a little bit before we can get him to talk. This gives me something to focus on while we wait, and if something comes up, you know how good I am at multitasking.”

Kara knew Alex was just trying to make her feel better, but they were already low on manpower for the Cadmus taskforce they were preparing. If they wanted to take advantage of the momentum they had from today’s bust, they would need to stay focused.

“I’m running down a few Cadmus related leads too,” Lucy offered, interrupting some of the tension hanging between the sisters. “I reached out to Lena. She knows Lillian is involved with Cadmus, and she doesn’t approve. I’m not sure yet if we can fully trust her, but she helped today.”

Kara nodded, still not completely convinced but willing to let the issue drop for the night.

“Alright everyone, go home and get some rest. It’s been a long day, and it looks like we’re going to have our hands full tomorrow. Director Lane, if I could see you before you leave?” J’onn spoke, already walking toward his office.

Lucy started walking backwards, keeping her eyes on the remaining three. “I’ll check in tomorrow if I find anything new. Keep me in the loop with the imp situation.” She waved quickly as she spun around to follow J’onn properly.

“And then there were three.” Winn earned a glare from Alex. “Or two. I will just be taking my leave now. Night!” He gave Kara a hug and dared to give Alex a quick peck on the cheek. Alex responded with a hard flick to his ear before he escaped, dashing toward the locker room to collect his things.

Kara watched him go, letting her shoulders droop a little once she was left alone with her sister.

“Don’t.”

“Alex…” Kara whined, following her through the glass corridors to Alex’s lab.

They glared at each other for a second before squeezing inside, shoulder to shoulder.

“I don’t want you to have to put the search for Jeremiah on hold again. I promised you when this started that bringing him home would be my first priority, and I meant it.”

“It is our first priority, Kara, but we knew we would run into some obstacles along the way. We can’t expect life to stop just because we’re busy with something more important.” Alex sat and shook her mouse to wake her computer screen.

“But we’ve already had so many delays.” Kara slumped onto a stool across from her sister. ”And I promised you, Alex.”

Alex turned, rolling her chair so she and Kara were face to face. She reached out to take Kara’s hands in her own. “Remember a few days ago when we were talking about using Hank’s tech to find Dad, and I brought up how far you were willing to go to save Cat?”

Kara nodded. She was still unpacking her feelings about the whole situation. She had her reservations about using Henshaw like a lab rat, but Alex had been right in a lot of ways, and she’d made the right decision about trying to pull information from Henshaw’s system. Kara regretted comparing what Alex was doing to Cadmus, not when everything her sister did was to keep their family safe, to keep people like Lillian Luthor from corrupting the rest of the world.

“I said you were ready to kill for Cat that night, and you said you would do the same for me?” Alex half-said, half-asked, tilting her head to catch Kara’s eye. “I want him back, Kara. I want him back so bad I feel like my bones might shake right out of my skin, but I will _not_ risk you to do it. Losing Dad was devastating. Knowing he’s out there and not being able to bring him home? It’s awful. But losing you? I don’t think I’d survive it. I know it’s not what you want to hear. I know you want me to say I would be strong, but – watching you – watching the most important part of me throw herself in the way of every oncoming threat? It scares the shit out of me.”

Tears stung at Kara’s eyes. “You’re one to talk, you know. I feel like I’m having a stroke every time you jump in front of me trying to keep me safe,” Kara said softly, wiping at her eyes.

“I have your back. _We_ have each other’s backs. Which is why I’m going to help you with this Mxyzptlk thing, and then we’ll get back to Dad. Better together, remember?”

Kara nodded, too tired to argue. She would check back tomorrow, make sure the Jeremiah bases were still covered while they worked on getting rid of Mxyzptlk, but for now, she needed a breather.

“So you accidently made out with Cat Grant again?” Alex teased as she pushed herself back toward her computer.

Kara groaned. “Couldn’t just let that one go, huh? Did you have a nice time training with your sleepover buddy?”

“Jealous that I can seal the deal and you keep getting interrupted, much?” Alex ducked as a nearby stapler went hurtling over her head and embedded itself in the wall. A piece of plaster fell to the floor, and Kara and Alex burst out laughing until they were both doubled over. After everything that happened today, it felt good to share this moment with her sister.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you thank you THANK YOU for the notes, reblogs, comments and tweets. Your love for the virtual season is noticed in every instance and is very much appreciated by the authors, editors and artists. 
> 
> As we enter this final stretch, please don’t let up on the amazing rate of response. We love hearing your thoughts, however you choose to share them!


	3. Act II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Previously on Supergirl Virtual Season...

Let’s relive that interruption with @pinkrabbitpro shall we? Love on it in the comments or try the [Tumblr ask](http://pinkrabbitpro.tumblr.com/ask). 


	4. Act II

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sending Kara home for the night, Alex ends up at Maggie’s, ready to let the stress of the day take a backseat for some much-needed relief. Cat reassures Kara that they’re on the right track, reminding her of everything they’ve accomplished already, and Kara fills her in on what she learned about Mzypzlk, while the man himself watches on preparing to woo the woman of his dreams.
> 
> ***A LITTLE NSFW TONIGHT FOLKS***

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another @xy0009 special! ([ao3](http://archiveofourown.org/users/xy0009) | [tumblr](http://xy0009.tumblr.com))
> 
> For these brilliant editors, much thanks:  
>  catherinegrant ([ao3](http://archiveofourown.org/users/catherinegrant) | [tumblr](http://catherinegrant.tumblr.com/ask)), @spaceshipsarecool ([ao3](http://archiveofourown.org/users/spaceshipsarecool) | [tumblr](http://spaceshipsarecool.tumblr.com/ask)), and @musetotheworld ([ao3](http://archiveofourown.org/users/musetotheworld) | [tumblr](http://musetotheworld.tumblr.com/ask))

Alex watched her sister shoot off the balcony. Her yell for Alex to go home and get some sleep probably woke up half the city before getting swept away by the wind. She smiled and shook her head. Looking down at her watch, she realized Kara was probably right. J’onn had started to talk about implementing more regimented hours. Something about operating delicate machinery and impaired judgement. She was honestly a little sleep deprived when he went over it in their ops management meeting and only caught about half of his spiel.

Her cell and wallet were already tucked away in adjacent thigh pockets, and there was nothing in her locker that wouldn’t still be there in the morning. With one last sweep around the area to make sure the third shift crew was settled, she made her way down to the street.

It wasn’t until she turned the corner to the small employee parking lot that she remembered Maggie had picked her up that morning so they could head out to the desert base for training. She had dropped Alex back at the city base when they were done so she could catch up on the situation at CatCo.

Alex started off in the direction of her apartment instead, glad it was only a few blocks away. She wouldn’t have as much time to dwell on the rising disappointment in her chest. It was true she would do anything for her sister, because at the end of the day, life without her was unimaginable. That didn’t mean the new interruption didn’t suck, especially given how little they still had to go on regarding Jeremiah’s whereabouts.

Without breaking her pace, she reached down to fiddle with the zipper that kept her pocket closed so she could pull out her phone.

_You know, it’s kind of rude to insist on picking somebody up for work without offering them a ride home._

**Your apartment is two blocks away from your office, Danvers.**

_And it’s dark. What if I get mugged on my way? I’m defenseless out here, Sawyer._

**Hmm… maybe you should come to my place instead so I can see for myself that you got home safe.**

Alex laughed, a tingle shooting through her belly. Her head started to feel fuzzy in the way it always did where Maggie was involved.

 _That’s probably a good idea. I wouldn’t want you to have to explain to J’onn that his best agent met her demise because of your recklessness,_ Alex typed back with a smile, not pointing out that Maggie’s apartment was an extra three blocks in the other direction. Instead, she turned on her heel toward Maggie’s apartment and quickly typed out a message to Kara, making sure she got home safe. She had a feeling she’d be too busy to check in later.

***

Kara left the DEO and headed toward her apartment. She was tempted to fly by Cat’s penthouse to make sure she and Carter had settled in for the night without trouble, but Cat had made her promise she would go home and get some sleep. She had sent Kara a text, picture and all, of her and Carter snuggled into their couch watching the news a half hour after she had said goodbye to them, and the DEO agent who’d brought them home had confirmed with Kara that everything was fine.

She pulled out her phone as soon as she touched down inside her apartment, shutting the window behind her with one hand, the other already beginning to type out a message.

_Just got home. How’s Carter taking his 1st night of being grounded?_

Cat wouldn’t be fooled by her nonchalance, but after their almost argument this morning in the elevator and what Cat had said about feeling useless in a fight, Kara wanted to be careful not to insinuate that Cat couldn’t take care of herself. Maybe Kara was being a little paranoid, but she couldn’t help but feel like every win they’d had was almost immediately followed by another attack.

She scrolled up to the picture Cat had sent again, wishing she was at the penthouse with them. The two nights she’d had with them before Cat had started back at work had left her feeling spoiled and made her quiet night in at her own apartment much less appealing. Her phone buzzed and pulled her out of her wishful thinking.

**Maddow still puts him to sleep faster than Ambien after a week-long rager.**

Kara smiled, spinning out of her suit and into a pair of worn sweatpants and an old tee. She was reaching to pick her suit up off the ground when her phone buzzed again.

 _ **Make it home okay?**_ – Alex, ever the big sister. Kara was doubtful she had even left the DEO yet.

 _Pajamaed and all,_ Kara sent back, snapping a quick picture of herself to attach. She didn’t say it, but Kara could tell Alex was more worried than she let on about everything that had happened in the past twenty-four hours.

_**That’s my shirt you thief.** _

_Are you home now?_ Kara typed back.

_**Just around the corner. I want my shirt back!** _

_Sure, Jan._ Kara closed her eyes and listened for her sister, hearing a very faint scoff and a steady heartbeat. She smiled and switched back to her conversation with Cat, who hadn’t said anything further.

She started to type a message, only to erase it. She was going for casual but it wasn’t really her forte, especially with Cat, who could always see right through her. She started again, attempting a joke about her first and last college party, but it felt forced. She was typing out her third attempt when her phone rang.

“Cat? Is everything alright?” Kara was already moving across her apartment to grab her supersuit that was still lying forgotten on the floor after she’d gotten distracted replying to Alex.

_“I was going to ask you the same thing, dear. My phone says you’ve been working on quite the lengthy message.”_

“Oh, right. I was just trying and failing to be witty,” Kara deflected. “It’s been a long day, which you know, you were there too and my brain is just not–uh, not as sharp as yours, apparently, and–”

 _“Kara, everything is fine. Carter is fast asleep, and I am looking over the material James was able to get from the AIDS Foundation Garden Party. Remind me to speak with Charles about reassessing my investment profile. There is some promising research being done that I’d like to allocate funds toward,”_ Cat added, and Kara got the distinct impression that she was purposefully steering the conversation away from heavier topics.

“Sure. I’ll have Eve call him in the morning.” The tight grip she’d had on her suit lessened slightly and she began to move toward her closet to hang it up. “I spoke with J’onn about Mxyzptlk. He’s met someone like him before. I’m going to look into it more tomorrow, but for now, it doesn’t seem like he’s working with Cadmus.”

Kara could hear Cat shuffling through some pages on the other end. _“Good,”_ she said simply.

“Good? Care to elaborate? Because from where I’m sitting, we now have two problems, and we’re still no closer to finding out anything about Jeremiah.”

_“If Kitchen Aid is on his own, he’ll make mistakes. He’s too self-involved not to. While he’s intelligent, he’ll be expecting you to join him without objection. It will be hard for him to understand why you wouldn’t want to do as he asks. You’ll be able to run circles around him. If Lillian were pulling the strings, she’d expect that, and she’d have a plan for it. Cadmus not being involved is a good thing. The timing isn’t ideal – then again there’s never an ideal time for a weak-chinned man to turn up out of nowhere to profess his love for you. There’s a reason I don’t attend events that Seacrest hosts. The point is that we’ve always found a way; don’t doubt that now.”_

“I just feel like we’re falling behind. Lucy’s dad is involved with Cadmus, the NCPD is struggling to keep up, and I’m worried about how this thing with Mxyzptlk is going to affect J’onn. It brought up some bad memories for him already, and with everything going on with M’gann, I don’t want to make things harder for him.” Kara moved around her apartment, picking up stray dishes and laundry, the phone wedged carefully between her shoulder and ear. She needed something to keep her hands busy as she fought the urge to just go to Cat.

_“Progress is not painless nor is it swift, and we **are** making progress. Cadmus can’t hide behind a shadowy figure on a screen anymore. We know their names now, and the closer we get, the more mistakes they’ll make.”_

“I know. I’m just tired and restless,” Kara said, pushing the door to her dishwasher closed.

 _“I know I made you promise to go home and get some sleep, but you are welcome to come here. I’m sure I could find some way to distract you. Inspire you,”_ Cat all but purred.

“As much as I’d love that, because I would, Cat, I really really would,” Kara said, fighting to keep her resolve in place, “I can’t risk leading Mxyzptlk to you and Carter. I hate to say it, but I imagine he’s the jealous type, and I don’t want to risk putting any of us in unnecessary danger, at least until we have a better idea of how to get rid of him.”

_“When this is done?”_

“When this is done,” Kara confirmed, knowing it may not be a promise she could keep, but one she would try her best to.

_“On that note, why don’t you climb into bed and tell me all about what J’onn had to say about our latest nuisance, so I can help you find a way to get rid of him.”_

“Well first of all, and you’re going to love this, he’s actually an imp. An actual, real life imp,” Kara started as she pulled her covers back.

***

Alex slid her phone back in her pocket as she rode the elevator up to Maggie’s apartment. She was glad Kara had made it home, and annoyed she’d spent three months looking for yet another shirt that had fallen victim to her sister’s sticky fingers.

Coming to a stop outside 6B, she rapped her knuckles against the wood in front of her.

“As promised,” she said when Maggie swung the door open, an oversized t-shirt covering her small frame. The sight left Alex a little weak in the knees.

“Hmm, you appear to be in one piece, but I think I need to investigate a little more to be sure,” Maggie said, reaching to pull Alex into the apartment with her.

“Well, I would never stand in the way of thorough detective work.” Alex kicked the door shut behind her and Maggie wasted no time pushing her against it, peppering a few light kisses to Alex’s neck before pulling back slightly.

“For the record, I would have picked you up, if I had known you were going to be at work so late.” Maggie tilted her head to the side. “Kara okay?”

“She’s gained yet another fanboy, but nothing we can’t deal with tomorrow.” Alex shrugged.

“Well good, because as you can see, I wasn’t exactly dressed to go out when I got your text anyway.”

“I can see how that would be an issue. The DEO does generally insist our guests wear pants.” Alex laughed, sliding her hands over Maggie’s underwear-clad hips and under her shirt, ghosting over the smooth lines of Maggie’s back.

“Actually.” Maggie stood on her tippy toes to whisper in Alex’s ear, causing Alex’s hands to slide down to her ass. “I was wearing pants when you texted me.”

Alex shivered at the implication as Maggie tugged at Alex’s shirt, pulling it over her head and tossing it aside. Maggie pulled back just enough to run her hands over the newly exposed skin, her thumbs brushing the bottom of Alex’s ribcage.

Alex hadn’t realized how tightly wound she was until Maggie’s hands were on her skin. She pulled at Maggie’s shirt, wanting to level the playing field, but Maggie wouldn’t budge. “Pants and boots,” Maggie directed, pressing her lips back to Alex’s skin, this time biting at her collarbone.

Alex complied, kicking her boots haphazardly towards the kitchen and tossing her socks along with them. Now barefoot, Alex felt Maggie shift, no longer having to stand on her tiptoes to reach her, Maggie pulled her in for a kiss, long and languid. Settling her hands on Maggie’s hips, she pulled her close.

Maggie’s other hand tugged impatiently at her belt, and Alex reached down to help, unclipping it easily. It made a small thud when it hit the ground, and Alex was suddenly very thankful she’d had to secure her weapons before interviewing Donovan, leaving only a flashlight, a set of handcuffs, and a multitool attached to the belt. Maggie didn’t seem to think about it at all as she kicked it out of the way toward the living room, her hands wasting no time in unbuttoning Alex’s pants, giving them a rough shove to bring them halfway down Alex’s thighs.

Alex pulled Maggie back to her, Maggie’s thigh landing right between hers, rocking into her, the momentum forcing Alex back into the door again. She grasped at Maggie’s shirt, trying again to remove it, wanting to feel Maggie pressed against her, but again Maggie stopped her. “Not yet, Danvers,” she said against her skin.

“Maggie.” Alex groaned impatiently, but Maggie ignored her, raking her blunt nails over any exposed skin she could find. Her lips moved further down Alex’s chest, teeth skimming her breasts through the simple black bra Alex wore. Usually one of her favorites, it now felt like an obstruction to everything she wanted. “Maggie,” she said again, this time a little breathless as her eyes fluttered shut. Alex brought a hand up to cradle Maggie’s head, keeping her in place. She bent her other arm awkwardly behind her, trying to get rid of her bra.

Maggie laughed and twisted to unclasp it herself, lips following as it fell, sprinkling small kisses over Alex’s now-exposed breasts, her tongue coming out to trace over a hardened nipple, tugging it between her teeth before soothing it over again.

“Shit,” Alex choked out. Clutching at Maggie’s shirt, she was suddenly very grateful it was still there to give her something to hold onto as Maggie repeated the process on her other breast.

Her mind was already growing foggy as Maggie continued mapping out the skin of her chest and stomach, leaving wonderful little wet patches along her torso. Combined with the soft breeze coming in from Maggie’s open windows, it drove her crazy. Alex enjoyed the sensation so much, she didn’t realize that Maggie had moved again until she felt the t-shirt she was fisting go slack in her hand, Maggie having used Alex’s grip to her advantage, slipping right out of it as she sunk to her knees in front of her.

“Sneaky,” Alex said, her voice a hoarse croak.

“Remind me later to tell you about my sorority days.” Maggie smirked.

“You were in a sorority?”

“No.” Maggie punctuated the word by tugging Alex’s pants the rest of the way down her legs, meeting Alex’s confused stare with a smug grin.

“Oh,” Alex said, her thoughts still fuzzy. _“Oh,”_ she said again, understanding.

Maggie just smiled wider and tapped Alex’s calf. Alex complied and stepped out of her pants, leaving her in just her underwear. Her pants landed somewhere near her boots in the kitchen.

Maggie just watched her for a moment, her chin resting near Alex’s belly button. “How ya feeling, Danvers?”

“Good,” Alex said, keeping it simple, knowing it was all Maggie needed to hear. She pushed Maggie’s hair back and smiled down at her.

“Good.” Maggie smiled back, pressing a quick kiss to Alex’s stomach before looking away, clearly on a mission.

She ran her hands up Alex’s legs, hooking her thumbs into the waistband of Alex’s boy shorts and tugging them down carefully until they hit the floor, letting Alex kick them off.

Alex expected Maggie to continue slowly. She had eagerly cataloged every little thing that made Alex twitch in the past few days since they’d begun sleeping together, even when Alex begged her to speed things up, but tonight was different, and for that Alex was grateful, as she felt Maggie’s mouth connect with her heat. She wasn’t sure how much longer she would be able to keep herself propped up against the door if Maggie had decided to tease her.

“Someday, Danvers, you’re going to have to explain to me the science behind how you always taste so good.” Maggie nudged Alex’s legs further apart to give her better access. Alex’s breath caught at her words, and Maggie smirked against her, running her nails up Alex’s legs as she swirled her tongue just enough around Alex’s clit to cause her to buck her hips, her head slamming back into the door.

“Careful, babe,” Maggie warned, her hand grasping Alex’s hip to keep her in place. With the other, she started to tease Alex’s entrance, easily sliding a finger inside her. Connecting again with Alex’s clit, she was careful not to put too much pressure there.

“More,” Alex begged, pushing closer to Maggie again. Maggie reasserted pressure on her hip before she added another finger and began pumping in and out of Alex at a steady speed, which she partnered with small repeating circles to Alex’s clit.

Alex wound a hand into Maggie’s hair, keeping her in place, the coil in her stomach getting tighter. Her breath started to come in shorter bursts, and Alex knew she wouldn’t be able to hold off much longer. Maggie braced an arm under her leg, the fingers inside of her curling once, twice… Alex’s ears popped, her knees giving out just a little bit. Maggie’s fingers continued to stroke inside of her as Alex rode out her orgasm, her other arm holding Alex tightly, pushing her further into the door to keep them both from toppling over.

Maggie’s fingers slowed as Alex started to come down, and Alex heard Maggie speaking softly to her, telling her how beautiful she was, how much she loved seeing Alex like this. It was almost enough to make Alex come again, but she was determined to get her hands on Maggie first.

“Welcome back,” Maggie said with a smile and pulling back slightly, her fingers finally slipping out of Alex, who shuddered a little at the loss, earning a kiss to her hip.

“Hey,” Alex replied, still a little breathless. “Glad to see our intensive DEO training hasn’t worn you out.” She took Maggie’s hands, pulling her to her feet. Her legs still felt like jelly and she leaned back into the door, pulling Maggie against her heated skin, kissing her deeply.

When they pulled apart, Alex felt steadier and buzzed all at once. “So you had a question about science?” Alex teased, earning an affirming hum from Maggie. “Well, I find hands-on experimentation is really the best way to understand these things.”

Maggie laughed, loud and uninhibited. “Nerd.”

***

Mxyzptlk watched as Kara spoke her goodnights into her phone. She looked so content, almost happy, as she whispered a sweet goodbye to the woman on the other line. He couldn’t wait to show her what true happiness was.

He had been very busy after leaving CatCo, knowing he had to do something grand to prove to Kara just how much he could mean to her. It wasn’t her fault she’d pushed him away earlier. Knowing her for so long made it impossible for him not to feel as though they’d been lovers for a lifetime, but time wasn’t something Kara was familiar with in the way he was. She couldn’t manipulate it from every angle. Couldn’t pull apart all the nuances of a person to best discover how to help them adore you.

It was quite the shame he couldn’t look forward to see what would come next, but with all his ability to warp time around him, this was one instance he was no better than a cut rate fortune teller.

No, until Kara made her decision, he was stuck, only able to look into the past and experience the present to its fullest potential. Anything more would be infringing on a decision made by Kara’s own free will and would result in immediate banishment back to Zrfff. It was a rule he hated with great passion. One imp told his target the outcome of her own decision – creating a paradox where it can never be known if her decision truly came of her own volition, or out a perceived idea of what her choice should be – and it ruined it for everybody.

That didn’t mean he couldn’t work to influence her the old-fashioned way. A little nostalgia here, a show of power there; he’d never known a third-dimensioner to resist it.

Out of pure curiosity, he conjured up an image of the other woman he’d met that night. Cat was also tucked away in her bed, but she didn’t look as content as Kara had, instead appearing to be on the wrong side of restless. She’d put her phone down and close her eyes only to open them a few minutes later and start the process all over again.

Mxy watched as she picked up her phone for the eighth time, pulling up her contact list, and hovered her thumb over Kara’s name before closing it out again. He wondered what Kara saw in this woman who couldn’t even make the simple decision to speak with her. It wouldn’t do to leave his beloved in the hands of someone so unbearable. Soon, Kara would see everything he could offer her. He’d taken lovers from princes and heroes alike over the centuries, so this ‘queen’ stood no chance against him, not when he could snap his fingers and crumble her empire before even Kara could intervene. Not that he needed to worry. Tomorrow he would show Kara everything he could give to her, not to mention everything she could give to him.

No, he thought, looking around at his spoils. Kara would be delighted.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you thank you THANK YOU for the notes, reblogs, comments and tweets. Your love for the virtual season is noticed in every instance and is very much appreciated by the authors, editors and artists. 
> 
> As we enter this final stretch, please don’t let up on the amazing rate of response. We love hearing your thoughts, however you choose to share them!


	5. Act III

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Previously on Supergirl Virtual Season...

Textual content from @supergaysupercat, killing it again. Leave love in the comments or try the [Tumblr ask](http://supergaysupercat.tumblr.com/ask). 


	6. Act III

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lucy goes to Maggie’s apartment to enlist her help to make sense of their Cadmus intel but she’s in for a surprise when she runs into Alex in the lobby. Kara wakes up to find an impossible gift from Mxypzlk, the Team begins to wonder how powerful he really is. After Lena’s words the night before, Adam begins to doubt his role in Cadmus and reaches out to Cat, behind Lillian’s back, in an effort to make sense of his troubled thoughts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another @xy0009 special! ([ao3](http://archiveofourown.org/users/xy0009) | [tumblr](http://xy0009.tumblr.com))
> 
> For these brilliant editors, much thanks:  
>  catherinegrant ([ao3](http://archiveofourown.org/users/catherinegrant) | [tumblr](http://catherinegrant.tumblr.com/ask)), @spaceshipsarecool ([ao3](http://archiveofourown.org/users/spaceshipsarecool) | [tumblr](http://spaceshipsarecool.tumblr.com/ask)), and @musetotheworld ([ao3](http://archiveofourown.org/users/musetotheworld) | [tumblr](http://musetotheworld.tumblr.com/ask))

Alex filled an obviously much-loved travel mug to the brim with coffee, screwing the top on tightly before setting it on the table next to their keys, which had been tossed there haphazardly the night before. Maggie had already downed two full mugs of the stuff, taking giant sips between doing her hair and makeup, fitting a dry bagel in the mix as well, but Alex knew with a third of the squadroom still in need of replacement, Maggie wouldn’t turn down the extra boost. Alex walked back to the kitchen and reached for a spare travel mug for herself, this time leaving enough room for sugar and creamer, something she’d have to start stocking at Maggie’s place if this was going to become a regular thing. Barring any emergencies, Alex had a small container of creamer stashed in the mini-fridge in her lab that she could break into when she got to the office.

“You planning on stealing my coffee and bailing, Danvers?” Maggie asked, leaning in the doorway to her bedroom.

“Like this could wake me up any more than that routine you put on in the shower.” Alex took a sip, trying and failing to be suave, unable to hide the small scrunch at the coffee’s bitterness.

Maggie laughed. “I’d have thought you’d be used to black coffee with the hours you pull.” She pushed off the door frame and walked into the kitchen, hoisting herself unto the countertop beside Alex.

“Over-roasted Folgers that you down like a shot on your way into a convoy doesn’t really compare to the overpriced fair trade magic in a bag you obviously favor,” Alex said, taking another small swig with a grimace, which garnered another laugh from Maggie. “Good coffee deserves the works. That being said…” Alex trailed off, giving Maggie an apologetic look as she moved to stand between her knees, setting the coffee aside to rest her hands on Maggie’s thighs.

“You still need to go,” Maggie finished for her, running her hands through Alex’s choppy hair.

“Yeah. I need to check in with Winn to see how decoding Henshaw’s tech is coming, and I want to get a jump on studying the biology of a fifth-dimensional creature.”

“Is it exhausting being so smart all the time?” Maggie asked, scratching lightly at the back of Alex’s neck.

“Hmm, you tell me.” Alex stood on her tippy toes to give Maggie a soft kiss. “Speaking of things I want to check in on, you’re doing okay? I know it’s only been a few days, and Cadmus is still out there…”

“Well, unlike you, I can drink my coffee without cringing,” Maggie teased, leaning back in for another kiss. When Alex held out for an answer, Maggie relented, shoulders slumping a little. “I’m good. I’m not sure I deserve to be, but trust me, this is way beyond what I hoped for last week.”

Alex gave her one more quick peck. “Good. Your travel mug is full and by your keys, and I put your access card for the station in the outside pocket of your laptop bag. I’m not sure how, but it ended up in your kitchen with my pants,” Alex said as she pulled on her boots.

“You’re too good to me, Danvers.”

“Eat your heart out, Phi Beta Delta.” Opening the door, Alex tossed Maggie one last wave before pulling it shut behind her.

***

Lucy pulled the door to the building open, just in time to run into a familiar face.

“Lucy? What’s going on? Is everything–” Alex came to a stop in front of her, reaching for her phone.

“Everything’s fine,” Lucy said, waving her off.

“The last time I had a house call from my ranking officer, I was still in training. J’onn would show up at all hours of the night to force me to run tac drills.” Alex slid her phone back into her pocket.

“No tac drills, I promise. Actually, I’m here to see Detective Sawyer, since this is _her_ apartment building.”

“Right,” Alex drew out the word.

“I was going to see if she could spare some time for the DEO today, but I can see you’ve already debriefed her.” Lucy smirked.

Alex brought a hand up to run through her hair. “What do you need Sawyer for anyway?”

Lucy smiled but decided to let her off the hook. She made sure nobody was coming, before pulling Alex toward the corner of the lobby, giving them a little more privacy. “J’onn and I decided last night that we want my people focusing as much of our resources as we can get away with on Cadmus.”

Lucy’s team had spent the last few months primarily on Myriad clean-up, lending as much support to the Cadmus investigation as they could, given their hands were tied from high up. Most of the investigation started and ended at the downtown base.

“I promise, we won’t step on anyone’s toes, and we’ll keep you and J’onn in the loop on anything that we find. After last night’s discussion, we both want to make the most of the resources at our disposal.”

“It’s a good idea. Kara’s never not going to get pulled away for Supergirl duties, and I’m never not going to be right there with her. This helps us keep the pressure on them.”

Lucy felt the tension in her shoulders ease. She’d anticipated another fight, despite their coming to an understanding last week. Alex was fiercely protective of the people she cared about, and Lucy was all too aware that she’d shown up here unexpectedly, not only confirming what she’d already suspected about Alex and Maggie’s relationship, but also likely making Alex nervous that Maggie’s legal troubles were back for round two. She wouldn’t have blamed Alex for being defensive.

Lucy was about to respond when footsteps echoed behind them, and they looked up just in time to see Maggie round the corner, computer bag slung over one shoulder and coffee in hand.

“What’s going on?” Maggie asked when she saw them, her pace quickening. “Is Kara okay?”

Lucy noted the dopey look of affection cross Alex’s face at the question. For just a minute, she missed James and that feeling of having someone who bothered to ask if she was all right, who actually wanted to hear a real answer.

“Everything’s fine. Lucy is here for you actually,” Alex said, crossing her arms over her chest.

“Sorry to barge in on you at home. I was just hoping to catch you before you got pulled into a case, and your office is in the opposite direction of mine,” Lucy explained. “We have some intel I’d like to get your input on. From what you showed me when I was acting as your counsel, I think you could shed some light on what we found.”

“Yeah, I–I mean, I’d be happy to.” Maggie shifted her bag higher on her shoulder. “Babe.” Maggie rested her hand on Alex’s forearm. “You’re kind of starting to lose your chance to get in early,” Maggie reminded her, eyes flashing down to the watch that rested on Alex’s wrist.

“Right!” Alex said, a little too loudly in response. “Right, okay, well…” She glanced between them, her eyes lingering on Maggie’s lips before shooting over to Lucy again.

“Go.” Maggie leaned in to give her a quick peck and an eye roll. “We’ll let you know if we come up with anything.”

“Okay, I’m going. Just be safe and call if you need me.” Alex backed away, stopping at the last second to reach out and place a hand on Lucy’s shoulder. “Thank you. I know you guys have a lot going on on your end too, but I’m really glad to have your eyes on this.”

“Thanks, Alex.” Lucy crossed her arms over her stomach, the air between them finally starting to feel clear, and Lucy wondered if they might finally have a chance to be friends.

Alex nodded at Lucy and gave Maggie one last smile, tossing a “See you tonight, Sawyer” over her shoulder as she headed toward the street.

“She call you that in bed too?” Lucy bumped Maggie’s shoulder.

“Among other things.”

Lucy couldn’t help the loud laugh she let out in response. “You and I are going to be really good friends, Detective Sawyer. I already feel it.”

***

Kara woke to her phone buzzing. Three short bursts. She pushed her face further into her mattress before blindly reaching for her nightstand. She barely remembered to disconnect her phone from the charger before pulling her hand back. There were still small bits of plaster missing from her wall from the last time she forgot.

She adjusted the offending brightness of her screen, flipping her alarm off while she was at it. No point in trying to go back to sleep for another five minutes.

There was a text from Alex, which must have been what woke her, since the only other notification was an email that’d come in the night before. Kara smiled and shot off a quick reply. Her good mood lasted another few seconds before the hairs on the back of her neck stood up.

She looked around, but everything was the same as when she’d gone to bed that night, and she didn’t hear anything in the rest of the apartment either, just Doug from down the hall practicing his vocal warm-ups as he did every morning.

Pulling up Alex’s speed dial just in case, Kara made her way to the living room, scanning every inch for something out of the ordinary. It took her a second to see it, but when she did, she nearly dropped her phone.

There on her coffee table sat the sculpture she’d made for her father before leaving Krypton. She reached out, stopping just short of touching it, instead pressing the call button on her phone.

“Alex?” she asked as soon as she heard the click on the other line. She must have sounded scared because she didn’t even need to say anything more.

“I’m on my way.”

***

Mxyzptlk watched, delighted, as Kara circled the gift he’d left her. It had taken him some time to choose, but after a little research, he had no doubt the sculpture was exactly the right choice. It had persuaded her under the Black Mercy, and it would be a reminder yet again of everything she could have if only she let herself take it.

A woman with short auburn hair burst through the apartment door, nearly knocking it off its hinges. Of course, the sister. Reaching Kara almost immediately, she quickly assessed her for injury. He rolled his eyes. As if he would hurt her. He needed her, he loved her, and he was just trying to make sure she knew that. It was as if these earthlings had never experienced proper courtship.

Kara would tell her sister there was nothing to worry about, would explain how remarkable his gift was.

“He was here, Alex. While I was sleeping. I didn’t even notice or wake up or anything.”

Mxy smiled. Kara had noticed how considerate he’d been. He’d been tempted to wake her, wanting to see face-to-face her reaction to the gift, but he knew how much she valued her rest. It would please her to know he took the time to notice that sort of thing.

His thoughts distracted him and he didn’t catch the sister’s reply, but he tuned back in as Kara spoke again.

“However he got this, he’s more powerful than we thought.”

His smile only grew. She knew now what he could do for her.

As much as he wanted to see what other wonderful things she’d say about him, he still had work to do. He had shown her his power; it was only fair that he give her an opportunity to reciprocate.

Mxy looked at the watch he’d stolen the night before, an odd fixture that he usually wouldn’t bother with but one of necessity on this world. If he was lucky, he’d just make rush hour, and he was always lucky.

***

Stuffing the last piece of his sandwich in his mouth, Adam Foster glanced around his new office. The clock on his computer screen told him he still had twenty minutes until his lunch hour was up and he had to be back to work. It was an adjustment from the on and off jobs he’d held for the last few years since finishing his undergrad. Not that he’d needed to work.The allowance from Cat, and the trust fund that would start to pay out in a few years meant he would never have to work if he didn’t want to. But he’d done it anyway. His mom’s money had always made him feel dirty and undeserving, a feeling that was hard to reconcile even as an adult. None of those jobs had been like this though, an office door with his name on it, a place where he could grow, a job that could be a career for him.

He swiped a peppercorn off his desk, the stark white making every crumb he’d dropped stand out. He wanted to find a vacuum cleaner to suck away every last bit of crumb and dust until everything was perfect again. Lena’s words from the other night echoed in his ear. “You should have gotten out when you could.” She was like him; never quite belonging anywhere. Always the outlier amongst every other perfect thing. Trying to make a family out of the pieces they’d been left with.

Adam never really understood Lena and Lillian’s relationship – or lack thereof – but watching them together always made him wonder what was worse: never really having your mother? Or having one who was always right there but still didn’t see you? He’d asked Lillian about it once, when he was fifteen and visiting one of Lex’s new labs, back when Lex was just as much Adam’s hero as he had been Lena’s. When the words left his mouth, Lillian had given him a look so cold he thought his heart might stop. But it had only lasted a second before a warm smile had slipped back onto her face, and she’d explained she and Lena were sometimes so alike that they couldn’t help but bump heads. It had made sense at the time. He and his dad were occasionally the same way. Then Lex went to prison. How could a family recover from that?

After the dinner he’d shared with the two of them the night before, he’d been thinking more about his relationship with his own mother. He hadn’t said anything to Lillian, but he’d been oddly relieved when Donovan failed. They’d never told him the full extent of the plan, just that they needed to avail themselves of Cat’s airwaves for a few minutes. Still, Adam didn’t trust Donovan. He was clearly unhinged.

It was part of the reason he’d extended an olive branch to Cat before leaving her office yesterday, so he could prove that there was a better way to use her than whatever Donovan had planned.

Lillian had been pleased when he’d told her, syncing their calendars so that each of his planned dinners with Cat could be monitored. In the moment, he’d been proud of himself for doing something right, his success even more gleaming in light of Donovan’s failure; but as he struggled to fall asleep last night, Lena’s words and Donovan’s face flashing through his mind on a loop, he regretted telling Lillian at all. He wondered if it’d be better if he could just talk to his mom, and not the woman who could be leveraged by a group that her own network had reported as being a fringe domestic terrorist cell. For the first time, he was curious to know why Cat felt that way, instead of just dismissing her notion as a misunderstanding of what Cadmus’s mission really was.

Adam reached for his phone, still having a few minutes before he had to get back to work. It’d give him enough time to send Cat a quick message.

_I hope you’re doing okay after yesterday. Any chance you’re free for dinner tonight?_

He set his phone aside, knowing it could be a while before she responded. Standing and adjusting his drafting table, he let his thoughts melt back into the plan set in front of him.

***

Cat felt yet another pair of eyes on her from the bullpen. Her employees were apparently surprised that she’d shown up; this was probably the first time many of them had gotten a good look at her since she’d left. She briefly considered calling an impromptu staff meeting to reset the standard. A few well placed barbs, maybe just enough to make Derek cry, and they’d be back on track.

Her phone vibrating pulled her attention away, and she relaxed when Kara’s name popped up on her screen. She read the text quickly, making her decision as soon as she caught James out of the corner of her eye.

Thirty minutes later, Cat stood in the lobby of the DEO arguing with an agent she’d never met before, who was insistent she didn’t have clearance to enter the “FBI” offices.

It wasn’t until he reached to escort her from the building that she took drastic measures. _“Keira!”_ The agent moved toward her quickly and grasped her upper arm, apparently intent on getting her out of the building before she could cause any more of a disturbance.

“Ms. Grant,” a familiar voice spoke up behind them, obviously annoyed.

“Finally.” Cat yanked her arm out of his grasp. “Will you please inform Cody Banks here that I’m not a threat?”

“Director J’onzz, I was just escorting Ms. Grant from the premises,” the agent sputtered as he reached to take her arm again, stopping when they heard boots sliding to a halt. “She’s a… well, she’s the media.”

“There you are,” Cat said, pushing past the other two to link arms with Kara.

“Are you alright?” Kara asked, her eyes scanning over Cat’s body in a way that almost made her blush.

“Fine, fine,” Cat assured, “I came to check on you.” She noticed how Kara’s shoulders sagged in relief and felt a little bad about panicking her.

Kara looked from her to J’onn, who was rubbing his forehead. Before she had a chance to say anything, he nodded his head in the other direction. Not needing to be told twice, Cat let Kara lead her into the DEO.

A moment later, they were standing in the doorway of Alex’s lab. Alex stood off to the side, fiddling with a machine that would probably inspire a slew of questions from Cat if her eyes hadn’t immediately locked onto the small statue that sat in the middle of the lab table.

“That’s it, then?” Cat asked, catching Kara’s nod out of the corner of her eye.

She moved to the table to inspect it closer. There were small details here and there that made the piece stand out, hints that the artist was more talented than your average child. The metal was obviously not from earth, but otherwise it looked remarkably ordinary, similar in many ways to the kinds of art projects Carter had brought home over the years.

“And it’s real?” Cat asked, glancing back and forth between the sisters.

“As far as we can tell.” Alex snapped her gloves off and tossed them in the trash before leaning back against the counter. “At least it’s Kryptonian. We can’t know for sure if it’s the exact same one Kara made as a child or just an eerily similar replica.”

Kara moved forward and turned the statue over in her hands, studying it from every angle. Her thumb ran over what looked to be initials made by a small child, and Cat had to wonder how many times she’d done so already.

“It’s real,” Kara said softly.

Cat and Alex shared a worried look. Cat briefly considered giving an excuse as to why she absolutely had to go see Winn Schott, to give the sisters their space, even if she knew Kara wouldn’t buy it. Alex stepped in before she could think of it further.

“Hey.” Alex reached out to lay her hand on her sister’s arm. “I’m going to go check on those results from your apartment, okay?” Her voice was gentle and soothing, and Kara visibly relaxed as she nodded.

Alex met Cat’s eye once more as she brushed past, the look a plea and warning all in one.

“And no funky business in my lab either,” Alex called loudly over her shoulder as the door slid shut behind her. Despite the blush it induced on Kara’s cheeks, it also garnered a laugh, so Cat supposed she would just have to put up with the teasing.

“You really didn’t need to come here. It’s only your second day back.” Kara set the statue back down and tucked her hands into her cape, an anxious habit Cat had come to recognize in the past few months.

Cat shrugged. “James had a conference call this afternoon that’s been planned for a few weeks, and you were right yesterday that he and I need to find a balance as I settle back in, to avoid conflict.” She came to stand next to Kara at the table, pulling out a stool and taking a seat as gracefully as she could in three inch heels. Hooking her foot around the leg of another stool, Cat pulled it forward before patting it with her hand, urging Kara to sit with her.

Kara complied, and Cat reached out, her fingers just grazing the unusual metal. Now that she was closer, it was even more impressive. “You made this?” she asked. Kara had called that morning just saying that Mxy had left one of her long lost art pieces in her apartment and that she wouldn’t be into the office until later, if at all, asking Cat to stay put until they knew more. It wasn’t until later when Kara sent a text confirming she’d be stuck at the DEO that Cat decided against listening to her.

“When I was eight.” Kara brought one of her own hands to the sculpture, their fingers brushing, causing Cat to smile despite the heaviness in the air. “It was a gift for my father. The Art Council had requested I spend an extra afternoon a week practicing, but my father was worried about how it would impact my commitment to the Science Guild. I made this to convince him. Birds had been extinct on Krypton for hundreds of years. I wanted to show him that art and science could work together, by creating a replica of something I’d only before seen in books and bones.” As she spoke, Kara’s fingertips traced the wings as though they, in particular, held meaning to her. “Alex told me you know.” She peeled her eyes away from the bird, meeting Cat’s curious gaze. “That she and J’onn told you about the Black Mercy, that I–that the substance used to hurt you was used last year to hurt me.”

Cat couldn’t hide her surprise at the topic change. She’d never brought it up with Kara, assuming she would talk to Cat about it when she was ready.

“It locks you in a dream world, a place where you can have anything your heart desires. When it attacked me – things were bad here, Cat. It was right after Adam, and you and I were…” She didn’t finish that sentence, and Cat moved her stool closer, their knees bumping together. Taking one of Kara’s hands in her own, she squeezed as hard as she could. “Things with Winn and James were weird too, and Max Lord was all but hunting me.”

“Kara, you don’t have to explain anything.” Cat could guess where this was going, and she couldn’t blame Kara, even if everything had been sunshine and rainbows at the time.

“I knew it was a mistake. When I first woke up there, even when I saw my mother, I knew it wasn’t where I was supposed to be.” Kara’s gaze drifted to the statue again. “It wasn’t until I saw _that_ when everything started to blur, not all at once, but enough. Before I knew it, I couldn’t remember that there was something to forget. Alex was the one who pulled me out; she found me and brought me home. I wasn’t strong enough to do it by myself.”

“Accomplishing something alone isn’t what makes you strong, Kara. You taught me that.” She thought it almost poetic. Kara had broken out of a dream world, and Cat had broken out of a nightmare, all at the hands of the same substance, neither able to do so alone.

Kara took a deep breath. “Winn confirmed Mxy was the one to leave this in my apartment. There was evidence of a wormhole, small and contained. It likely collapsed before I even woke up. It must be how he got his hands on this too.” Kara slid the statue closer to the edge of the table. “I wish I knew what he was up to.” Kara stood, her hand slipping out of Cat’s as she began to pace.

“He obviously wants you to know how powerful he is,” Cat said. “He hasn’t tried anything else so far? No attempts to contact you?”

Kara shook her head. “No, no. But…” She stopped.

“But?” Cat prodded.

“There have been a few incidents. An accident this morning on the freeway, a mugging downtown, nothing particularly unusual, but, I don’t know, they felt manufactured almost?” Kara leaned against the counter and crossed her arms. “I felt like I was being watched. I felt the same way when I woke up this morning, when I found that.” She nodded toward the statue. “I just don’t know why he would create chaos when he knows I’m going to put an end to it.”

“A display of your power to match a display of his own?” Cat guessed. “Men like him aren’t exactly reasonable. In his deluded state, he could think you’re working together or that he’s amusing you in some way. You need to be careful. As much as it pains me to say it, it may not be a horrible idea to indulge him just slightly. Right now he sees you as an ally, but if he feels like you’re rejecting him, he could turn against you. If you pretend to listen to him, it could give us a better idea of how he works, and keep you safe in the process. At least until there’s a better plan.”

“I wish we knew how we were going to get rid of him. If we can get him to say his name backwards, it would banish him, but it may not be a permanent fix. We could–” She stopped, turning her head slightly to the side, clearly hearing something nobody else in the building could.

“Go,” Cat said.

“It’s a robbery. The NCPD can handle it.”

“Kara, go. Get some fresh air, enjoy the flight,” Cat insisted, standing up to put her hands on Kara’s hips and pull her in, pressing a quick kiss to those perfect lips she’d come to enjoy so much. She pulled away, giving Kara’s hip a small slap to get her moving.

With that Cat was left alone in the lab. She looked at her watch and decided she had plenty of time to talk to J’onn about a proper visitor’s pass before picking Carter up from school.

***

“Adam, dear, please come to my office.” Lillian’s voice crackled through the speaker on his desk phone.

He didn’t respond, instead setting his supplies aside. He made his way down the hall to her office, knocking lightly on the door frame. “You wanted to see me?” He cleared his throat, the sudden unease he felt around her doubling when she looked up from her monitor and met his eye.

“Take a seat, Adam. I just wanted to have a quick chat.” Her words were friendly enough, but they left a lump in Adam’s stomach that had him feeling unexplainably guilty. For what, he wasn’t sure.

“Have I done something?” Adam mentally kicked himself for inviting criticism.

“I received a notification earlier, alerting me that a message had been sent to a device connected to a CatCo server. Luckily, our system intercepted it and prevented a data breach. It would be reckless to risk our own network to be compromised by any overeager media group. It’s proven to be an issue in the past with particularly _eager_ employees. However, I was very surprised to learn that this particular message had been sent from your phone.”

Adam’s eyes widened. “I was just sending a text to my m–to Cat, to make sure she was okay after yesterday, to see if she wanted to have dinner. It’s good, for me to look like the dutiful son, right? If we’re going to change her mind about Cadmus, we need her to trust me.” He sounded slightly desperate, but he hadn’t expected to be found out and he knew the consequences for this kind of insubordination could mean losing his job, or worse.

“You’re right, which is why I put together a schedule for your meetings. The same schedule you told me Cat had agreed to just yesterday.”

“She did. I mean, I just thought the sooner the better, you know? Our first dinner wasn’t planned until the end of this week, but wouldn’t it be better to talk to her when she’s still off balance because of the Donovan thing?”

“You are assuming quite a lot about Cat Grant that you have no right to assume, Adam. I don’t say this to hurt you, of course, but you must remember that I know Cat better than you do.” The look of pity on her face did nothing to wash away the chills that shot up his spine at the cutting tone with which she delivered the blow.

Adam wanted to defend Cat, to tell Lillian she was mistaken, but he couldn’t, not when he could count the number of interactions he’d had with Cat on one hand. _She doesn’t love you. She never wanted you. All you’ll ever be to her is a mistake she wishes to forget._ His thoughts turned against him in a voice that wasn’t his own.

He rubbed at his eyes. When he looked up, Lillian was watching him with concern, but he swore he saw a pleased crinkle in the corners of her eyes. “Are you okay, dear?” she asked. She came around the desk and placed the back of her hand against his forehead, and Adam leaned into the contact against his better judgement. “A little warm. You mentioned Cat’s other son was there yesterday, the younger one? Perhaps you picked something up from him. You know how school children are. You should go home early and get some rest.”

The relief he felt at being dismissed overshadowed any jealousy he would normally feel toward Carter, his legs jelly as he turned to leave.

“Adam?” Lillian called out as he neared the door. When he turned around she was seated behind her desk once more, already focused on the work in front of her. “Come see me before you leave for your dinner on Friday. I have some ideas of what you and Cat might talk about.”

“Of course.”

“And Adam?” She glanced up at him finally, a deadly look on her face. “Do not go behind my back again, do you understand?”

He nodded, swallowing down any attempt at a verbal reply.

It must have been enough to appease her, because she quickly waved him out of her office. He took a deep breath as he pulled the door shut behind him, not even bothering to stop by his own office before heading back to his hotel, wondering if a nap would help clear up the sudden fuzziness that had settled in his mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you thank you THANK YOU for the notes, reblogs, comments and tweets. Your love for the virtual season is noticed in every instance and is very much appreciated by the authors, editors and artists. 
> 
> As we enter this final stretch, please don’t let up on the amazing rate of response. We love hearing your thoughts, however you choose to share them!


	7. Act IV

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tonight on Supergirl Virtual Season...

Paperwork has never looked so good thanks to @pinkrabbitpro. Appreciate in the comments or try the [Tumblr ask](http://pinkrabbitpro.tumblr.com/ask). 


	8. Act IV

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Summary: After two days of creating chaos around National City, Mxyzptlk offers Kara an ultimatum she doesn’t think she can refuse. As she and Maggie continue to puzzle together their Cadmus intel, Lucy tells Maggie a story that sheds some light on General Lane. Kara informs Cat of her decision but Cat urges her to speak to Alex before making anything final.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another @xy0009 special! ([ao3](http://archiveofourown.org/users/xy0009) | [tumblr](http://xy0009.tumblr.com))
> 
> For these brilliant editors, much thanks:  
>  catherinegrant ([ao3](http://archiveofourown.org/users/catherinegrant) | [tumblr](http://catherinegrant.tumblr.com/ask)),@spaceshipsarecool ([ao3](http://archiveofourown.org/users/spaceshipsarecool) | [tumblr](http://spaceshipsarecool.tumblr.com/ask)), and @musetotheworld ([ao3](http://archiveofourown.org/users/musetotheworld) | [tumblr](http://musetotheworld.tumblr.com/ask))

Kara clutched the spy beacon tightly in her hand. If it hadn’t been made from such durable material, it would have broken without question. Instead, as the light continued to blink back at her, rage flooded her system. It was the same rage she’d felt the last time she held the object in her hand before she’d given it away to Zatanna, only this time it was mixed with an odd relief, which made her feel guilty and dirty. She hadn’t asked for this, for these reminders that were causing a storm of sadness, anger, and a terrible and sickening delight.

Mxy had been toying with her for two days now, sending impossible gifts, creating chaos around the city as though purely for the enjoyment of watching her put an end to it, even going so far as to involve himself on a few occasions. She had continued to make her feelings clear all while taking Cat’s advice to do so carefully, but with every “no” he seemed instead to hear “try harder.”

Kara had tolerated it, if only because their plan for getting rid of him was still being tweaked, and with a power like his, she and the rest of the superfriends had been unwilling to risk a confrontation without a few contingencies in place.

Tucking the reminder of Astra safely into a compartment in her suit, Kara shot to the skies, ready to put an end to this mess.

The flight took less than a minute, not enough time to calm her. She landed heavily, not caring enough to calculate her velocity. The ground shook slightly under her feet, the impact creating a small crater. She might have felt badly about it if she hadn’t immediately been greeted with Mxyzptlk’s smug face.

“I see you got my gift, and it guided you here perfectly.” He looked overjoyed with her arrival. “I have to say, for a children’s toy, your people created something quite impressive.” He held up a matching spy beacon that was still blinking, waiting to merge with its partner.

Kara moved forward in three quick steps and snatched the object from his hand. There was only one person she ever wanted to see holding it, and it definitely wasn’t him.

“How did you get this?” she demanded, already dreading the answer.

“The same way I’ve gotten all of your gifts, darling,” Mxy crooned, shaking his head as if he thought her silly for even asking. “I’ve already told you, shown you _just what I can do_.” He punctuated his words with small acts, wildflowers blooming out of nowhere, a picnic basket full of Kara’s favorite foods appearing on an expensive-looking blanket.

“You disturbed Astra’s resting place for this,” Kara said, her voice tight. She’d meant it as an accusation, wanting him to say it wasn’t true, that he’d found some other awful yet less horrible way to obtain the spy beacon Astra had been buried with. She didn’t mention the lengths he must have gone to to retrieve her own from Zatanna’s world, although she had to wonder what kind of strife he’d caused that world’s Astra in doing so.

“Well, she no longer had much use for it, and it means so much to you.” The smile he gave her made her blood run cold. “Besides, my sweetling, soon Astra won’t be needing a resting place at all.”

“What do you mean?”

“Do you even know the effect you have on those around you?” Mxy asked, his tone sickly sweet. “Strangers on the street can’t help but watch when you walk by, enamoured by something they don’t fully understand.”

Kara shook her head. She hadn’t come here to listen to him pontificate.

“Yes, yes, Kara. It’s true, they want to give you the world, just for the chance to feel that way forever. I know because I see it when I watch you, because I feel it too. The only difference is that I can make it happen. I can give you everything you’ve ever wanted, return everything that’s been lost.”

Her eyes snapped up, mouth opening and closing silently as she battled to comprehend what he was saying.

“I can give you your family back.”

“You can bring Krypton back?” Kara asked, her heart beating faster.

“No. I’m sorry, Kara. I can’t destroy or create any celestial body; it would have too large an impact on the fabric of the universe, not to mention all the other universes tied to that planet. But I can bring back your parents, your aunts and uncle. I can make it so they escaped Krypton with you and your cousin. You won’t ever have to know what it’s like to be without them again. We would obviously be very busy with our own adventures, but you could visit them whenever you want.”

“My family is here,” Kara told him, pushing away the intrusive thoughts whispering hopeful maybes in her ears. She’d made her choice last year when she escaped the Black Mercy, and she stood by it. No matter how much she may miss everything she’d grown up with, her place was here on Earth. The thought of life without Alex, without Cat, and J’onn and the rest of her friends made her sick.

“Your family is suffering needlessly. When your cousin’s pod landed here, it changed the course of history for this world. Just think of how much better this world would be if neither of you had landed here, if neither of you had brought with it the universe’s worst criminals. Everything that threatens those you hold dear could be gone in the snap of my fingers. Think of it, Kara, the House of El had diplomatic ties across the universe. They never would have chosen this planet if they’d been able to escape with you.” He held his hand up, and for a moment Kara thought he was about to demonstrate. “I could rewrite history, with your blessing.

“Cadmus never would have been formed, nor the DEO. Jeremiah and Cat would be left untouched, oblivious to the harms rained upon them at the will of a planet they can hardly even pinpoint with a telescope. Think of the possibilities! Without Superman to stir the pot, Cat and Lois work together instead of against each other to create a media empire bigger than CatCo or the Planet could ever hope to be, and with an extra set of hands, Cat would have had the flexibility to prioritize her family. Adam would have grown up with his mother, Carter would have a brother.

“Without you, Alex would have remained the star of the family. She could have pursued a career in medicine; it was always her dream, wasn’t it? Imagine a world where Alex wasn’t constantly in danger trying to protect you. A life outside of the shadows, where she’d have everything her heart could desire. Both of her parents, success, a love of her own, perhaps.” Mxy said the last words as if he were in on some big secret, and it just made Kara hate him that much more.

She turned away. What he was offering was everything Kara had ever wanted for Alex. For as many stars as Kara could pull out of the sky for her sister, Mxyzptlk had the power to let Alex live among them instead. Kara turned back to him, needing to get this conversation back on track.

“And what about J’onn, and Winn, and James? Superman landing here gave them a purpose. And what about all of the people we’ve helped? The people we’ve saved, not just from other aliens but from everyday disasters?”

“You say the word and they can have everything they want, anything they need.” Mxy turned away from her. Looking out over the landscape, he gestured to the city beyond. “Don’t you see? I can give this world everything you can’t, but only if you’ll let me.” He turned back, the same cold look from before in his eyes. “Or I can make it burn, turn this world upside down. These past few days, everything I’ve set in motion so you could embrace your strength? That was child’s play, hardly worth my time. Just imagine what it would be like if I put my mind to it.”

Kara fought to keep her face neutral. Cat’s words about Mxy being dangerous replayed in her head, even as she felt heat gather behind her eyes, ready to blast Mxy clean off the mountain. Instead she just nodded and said, “I’ll think about it.”

“One day. That’s how long you have to accept my offer. Tomorrow, we’ll start our new life together. I suggest you think about it,” Mxy said, and then he was gone in a cloud of light, leaving Kara standing on the mountain, the picnic basket and flowers abandoned, wondering what the hell had just happened.

***

Maggie tipped her mug back to take a sip, only to find it empty. She sighed and set it down, away from the stacks of files in front of her.

“This place isn’t as convenient for creature comforts as the one downtown,” Lucy said beside her, her eyes still on the paperwork in front of them. “I rallied for a mini Noonan’s, but J’onn said it would ‘compromise’ security. Like Kara hasn’t already told every barista she knows that she’s Supergirl.” Setting the file she’d been reading aside for a new one, she looked at Maggie with a teasing glint.

Maggie chuckled and nodded, appreciative that Lucy was going out of her way to make her feel comfortable.

It was the third day in a row Maggie had spent in the desert, and she was grateful it hadn’t been as stilted and awkward as she’d expected.

Upon arriving the day before, Lucy had explained that her team had spent the past several months since Myriad collecting as much data as they could about aliens aboard Fort Rozz. Where J’onn had been interested in prisoner names, species, crimes, and abilities, Lucy and her team were more interested in assimilation patterns. They wanted to know how they blended in, how they made lives for themselves, what kinds of habits they had picked up since coming to Earth, how many had tried, with success or failure, to return home. Not all of the Fort Rozz prisoners had joined Astra and Non’s army. Some had moved on. Of that group, they’d also investigated recidivism rates.

Maggie was no stranger to hard work and mountains of paperwork, but her biggest contribution so far had been reaching out to M’gann. Lucy had a natural reservation about involving a civilian, but she couldn’t deny the value of M’gann’s knowledge, and connections as a resource. Inviting her to the DEO base was a line Lucy wasn’t yet willing to cross, leaving Maggie to conduct most of her research after hours.

All together it was a mixed bag. The DEO had begun to interview those they’d captured and locked up over the past few months. The intel they’d gathered eventually led them to more diverse pools of candidates, small groups of alien factions here and there, communities like any other. It had taken a long time to gain their trust, many of them still reluctant to speak with their agents, having heard horror stories about the DEO that Lucy couldn’t do much to deny.

However slowly, though, Lucy’s team had started to make connections that allowed them to build preliminary models for how various types of aliens might adjust to life on earth. It was research that was still in its infancy, but Lucy was adamant it was vital to understanding how Cadmus were able to track and abduct so many aliens from right under their noses.

Maggie couldn’t disagree. Over the last thirty-six hours, they’d filled nearly two full glass walls with possible leads, having combined Lucy’s research, Maggie’s intel, and everything Alex and J’onn had come up with so far. There were only a few more files left to read, and Maggie looked over her shoulder at what they had so far, trying to figure out the best way to narrow it down.

“You really think your dad is involved in this?” she asked, picking up his file and keeping her voice gentle and neutral. She could hear Lucy set her file aside behind her.

“Yeah,” she said simply, “I do. I wish I could say it’s just Lillian, that he would never… but I already know that’s not true.”

“You know.” Maggie hoped she wasn’t about to put her foot in her mouth. “If you need to take a step back from this, that’s okay. I know what it’s like when your parents can’t look past their own beliefs to see you. I mean, aside from the one time I ran into them at a restaurant when I was sixteen, I haven’t seen my parents since they kicked me out. Even then, I don’t know that I’d be able to do what you’re doing.”

Lucy looked a little intrigued by that but didn’t prod further. “My dad’s not… I mean, maybe he is, but I don’t think…” She stopped and took a breath. For a moment they just stood there, nothing but the whirling of the AC in the background.

Maggie went back to her seat. She reached for another file, thinking the conversation was over, when Lucy spoke again.

“My mom died when I was seventeen. It was right after my high school graduation, when we were in Lebanon visiting some family. Tensions were high, but the part of the country we were traveling to was near the coast. It was in a safe zone. It was supposed to be safe.

“My mom and my aunt had gone out to pick up breakfast. I didn’t even register something was wrong until I felt the house shake. I grew up on military bases, I can tune out even the loudest flyover but this…” Lucy paused. “Even from a few miles away, portions of my aunt’s roof fell in. There were a few broken bones between my cousins and I, but nothing major.

“From there, it was chaos. My cousins were trying to call my aunt, and I started off in the direction that my mom and aunt had gone, but there were already local police on the ground, blocking people off at all the entry roads. I remember it being so loud, people screaming, children – and phones. You could practically hear every phone in a three-mile radius ringing non-stop. It was only a few hours later when embassy officials came for me. My father had sent them. I can’t even imagine how many favors he had to have called in.

“It took three days to find my mom. She had–” Lucy cleared her throat. “She had a necklace with our names, Lois and mine. She was wearing it, she–that’s how she was identified.

“We were told it was a US airstrike, that they were pinpointing a small terrorist cell in the area. My dad just spiraled after that. He couldn’t accept that the organization he’d dedicated his entire life to could be responsible for his wife’s death. He started to do his own research, finding these crazy stories. He spent all his time looking into them, just barely stopping short of using Army resources to fund his search. Dad found this off-the-wall conspiracy board that had started a rumor about a hostile alien that’d been sighted in the area. It was fairly soon after the emergence of Superman. God, he and Lois would fight about it.

“The dad I knew was gone. Don’t get me wrong; looking back he was always a bigot.” Lucy met Maggie’s eyes. “I mean, he was the kind of guy who would justify his prejudice with the diversity of his family. But this was a new extreme. Growing up he, he was just my dad, and now…” She didn’t finish her thought but Maggie understood.

“I looked into it, his theory about the alien,” Lucy admitted.

“Yeah?” Maggie asked, her voice gruff as she spoke past the lump in her throat.

“He wasn’t wrong. There was a rogue alien in the area. The airstrike was ordered by the DEO to neutralize it. Hank Henshaw ordered it.”

“Shit,” Maggie murmured, not really sure what else to say.

“Yeah.”

“And the alien? I mean, did you find anything out about him, something to explain why the attack was so extreme?”

“No, the file is mostly redacted. There wasn’t anything, really. No species or witness accounts.” Lucy shook her head.

“Maybe J’onn could look into it? He might know some agents who were around back then?”.

Lucy shook her head again. “He’s offered but…” She paused for a second, looking thoughtful. “It wouldn’t change anything, it wouldn’t – either he was a hostile and the DEO handled it horribly, or he was a refugee like J’onn and the DEO handled it horribly. Knowing won’t bring her back, and it won’t change my dad’s mind. All we can do is try to be better, and that starts with putting an end to Cadmus.”

Maggie reached across the table to give Lucy’s hand a quick squeeze. “Okay. You’ll let me know, though, if you need a breather?”

“Now that you say that, I think we all need a girls’ night.”

Maggie laughed. “That I can make happen.” She stood and studied the walls covered in their scribbles. “Think Winn could write a program to make sense of all this?”

“Sure, but Vasquez could probably do it faster.”

“Mhmm, Vasquez, what’s the deal there?”

***

Kara walked by Cat’s office for the fourth time in over an hour. Since her confrontation with Mxy that morning, she’d been distracting herself with work. Snapper didn’t seem to notice or care, and when she left her desk to go work in her still kind-of-secret office, he’d hardly even looked up. She’d finished the puff piece she’d been working on and brought it back to him for editing, which left her little to do until she was given another assignment or found something on her own to investigate. She briefly considered hitting the streets, but nixed that idea, not wanting to invite Mxy to give her something to do.

With nothing to distract her, Kara was finally forced to begin weighing her options, still having twenty-one hours to make a decision. As she replayed Mxy’s words over and over in her head and thought about everything it could mean for Alex and Cat, for everyone she loved, for everyone that’d been hurt by Cadmus or by her planet’s destruction, she couldn’t deny that her mind was already made up.

“Are you just going to stand there all day?” She turned to find James watching her with a smile from his office door.

Busted. She dipped her head with a shy smile and walked toward his office, plopping herself down gracelessly on his sofa.

“That good, huh?” He reached behind him to grab the chair in front of his drafting table, lowering it so they could sit face to face.

“I have to tell her something, and she’s not going to want to hear it. It’s not going to be a fun conversation.” Kara looked around the office for something to hold onto, wishing, not for the first time, that he wasn’t such a minimalist when all she spotted was a set of free weights.

James rolled away from the couch, opening a drawer in the line of cabinets along the wall before pulling out a pillow and tossing it at her, laughing at her surprise. “Hey, I figured someday we’d be back in a place where we’d do this,” he said, gesturing between them. “I have to stay prepared.”

“I’m glad we’re almost normal again,” Kara told him, hugging the pillow tightly to her chest.

“Me too.”

Her heart stung when she remembered she’d be giving this up, giving away all of their recent progress if she accepted Mxy’s offer.

James must have taken her silence for worrying about Cat, because he was reaching out to her and offering a shrug. “Whatever you have to say to Cat, just say it. I’d guess that most of your conversations these past few months haven’t been easy ones. You two make a good team; you’ll work it out.”

Kara let out a breath, giving the pillow one last squeeze before handing it back to James as she stood up. “Thanks, James.”

“Anytime.”

She gave him one last smile before making her way into the bullpen. Cat was still sitting behind her desk, glasses in place as she read through something in front of her. Kara passed by Eve’s vacant desk and leaned in the doorway, wanting one last second to enjoy this before she ruined it.

“Done stalking me from afar?” Cat asked without looking up.

Kara smiled and pushed off the doorway, starting to walk towards Cat’s balcony. “Do you have a minute? I need to talk to you about something.”

Cat’s head snapped up, and her eyes shot briefly to the bullpen. Kara looked back, but it didn’t look like anyone was paying attention, so she pushed the door to the balcony open and held it for Cat. A jolt ran through her as Cat reached out to brush their hands as she passed, but the mood turned somber as soon as the door fell against its frame.

Cat turned to face her, and Kara could tell she was about to ask what was wrong. She cut her off, blurting the words out before she could take them back.

“I saw Mxyzptlk this morning after he left me another gift. He gave me an ultimatum, and I think… it may be the best way out of this situation.” Kara dropped her chin to look at her feet.

“Nothing he offered could be that good,” Cat scoffed, and Kara could tell she was ready to dismiss the entire thing.

“He’ll bring my parents back. Kal’s parents too.” Kara’s legs were starting to feel heavy as the reality of the situation sunk in. Cat always had a way of making things feel real.

“I see.”

Kara sighed. “I said no, I–I would have said no. But he–” She stopped, overwhelmed with the situation, and with the lack of control she had over it. Lowering herself into a chair, she dropped her head into her hands.

“He what?” Cat asked, and Kara could tell she was making a conscious effort not to become snappish, not to guard herself off when it probably seemed like Kara was choosing the home she’d left over the home she’d made for herself here, over Cat.

“It will fix what we’ve broken, Kal and I,” Kara said. Looking up for the first time, she saw the confused look on Cat’s face and began to explain. “If our parents had been with us, Kal and I would never have been sent here in the first place. We would have gone to – Havania, Starhaven, Oa, somewhere they had ties, where they could protect us instead of forcing us to hide in the shadows on a planet where we could blend in. And if we never came here, there would be no DEO, no Fort Rozz… no Cadmus.”

“Oh, Kara.” Cat sighed, and Kara knew she was starting to understand.

“Nobody would have hurt you,” she whispered, tears welling in her eyes. “You would be safe. And Alex would be too, she’d have her dad. Jeremiah – he’d be home. None of you would have had to sacrifice for me.”

“Kara, Kara, Kara,” Cat repeated, taking a seat next to her. Kara swiped at her eyes. She needed to be strong here, to show Cat that it was the right thing to do.

“If I don’t do it, he’ll destroy everything. Everything he’s done this week has just been for fun, but if I don’t accept his offer, he’ll turn the world upside down until I change my mind. This is the best way; I’ll go with him, and everyone I love will be happy and safe. You won’t even remember me. I’ll be the only one who will remember,” Kara added softly.

“But it wouldn’t be real.” Cat stood, smoothing down her slacks before hastily wiping off the coffee table so she could sit in front of Kara. “Kara, I would rather fight like hell against Cadmus, Myriad, and a million rogue ‘villains’ looking to make a name for themselves, with you by my side, than to live in a perfect world that was manufactured by an abusive sociopath who uses the people you care about to manipulate you into doing his bidding. And as much as I care about you, you do not get to make that choice on my behalf or Alex’s.”

“Then you can remember, if that’s what you want,” Kara promised. “You can keep it all the same. CatCo, the boys, Martha Stewart’s stupid secret santa, whatever you want. Just not me, or Clark, or Cadmus. You’ll be you, but you’ll be safe.” She could understand Cat’s desire to lead the life she’d made for herself instead of one constructed for her, but it wasn’t enough to outweigh the consequences they’d be faced with otherwise.

“Kara, that’s not–” Cat looked past her for a long moment, her expression one of dissatisfaction mixed with worry and resolve. Knowing she was the cause of Cat’s disappointment sent a sharp pain through her chest, and she looked away. “Just talk to your sister,” Cat finally said. “Just–Alex–Just talk to her.”

Kara closed her eyes, already imagining what her sister would say, none of it good or enough to change the circumstances, aside from making her feel worse about the entire thing.

Cat’s hands slid across her back soothingly, tugging her forward until their knees bumped. Kara dropped her hands and let Cat pull her closer still until her forehead rested on Cat’s shoulder, Cat pressing a kiss to her temple.

For a few minutes they just sat there, Kara anchoring herself. “I’m sorry,” she said, dropping a kiss to Cat’s collarbone before turning her head and laying another one on Cat’s neck. It was innocent enough, but she felt Cat shudder at the contact. She pulled back just enough to capture Cat’s lips. She wasn’t sure if the content hum she heard came from her or Cat, but it was enough for her to press forward, nipping lightly at Cat’s bottom lip, before soothing it with her tongue. Cat responded in kind, moving her hands from Kara’s back to her neck, to pull her in closer.

“Any world where we can’t do that isn’t worth my time,” Cat said when they pulled apart.

Kara smiled sadly and laid her head against Cat’s collarbone. As much as it hurt, imagining a world without this, without Alex and Eliza, without her friends, nothing compared to a world where she would have to watch them all suffer because a of a choice she wasn’t strong enough to make. She let out a stuttered breath, realizing this might be the last time she would hold Cat this close.

“We’ll figure it out,” she heard Cat say against her hair. “Everything will be okay.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you thank you THANK YOU for the notes, reblogs, comments and tweets. Your love for the virtual season is noticed in every instance and is very much appreciated by the authors, editors and artists. 
> 
> As we enter this final stretch, please don’t let up on the amazing rate of response. We love hearing your thoughts, however you choose to share them!


	9. Act V

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Previously on Supergirl Virtual Season...  
  
---  
  
Another splash of gif wizardry courtesy of mitski ([ao3](http://archiveofourown.org/users/mitski) | [tumblr](https://mitski.tumblr.com)). Be sure to let her know how much you love it!


	10. Act V

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alex reminds Kara that she’s not responsible for her parents’ mistakes, and realizes she might have the key to defeating Mxyzptlk. Winn finds a way to secure data from Henshaw’s cybernetics but keeping Henshaw online proves harder than anticipated. When new information comes to light, the team thinks they may have finally found Jeremiah.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another @xy0009 special! ([ao3](http://archiveofourown.org/users/xy0009) | [tumblr](http://xy0009.tumblr.com))
> 
> For these brilliant editors, much thanks:  
>  catherinegrant ([ao3](http://archiveofourown.org/users/catherinegrant) | [tumblr](http://catherinegrant.tumblr.com/ask)), @spaceshipsarecool ([ao3](http://archiveofourown.org/users/spaceshipsarecool) | [tumblr](http://spaceshipsarecool.tumblr.com/ask)), and @musetotheworld ([ao3](http://archiveofourown.org/users/musetotheworld) | [tumblr](http://musetotheworld.tumblr.com/ask))

“I thought you would be home by now, or at least at Maggie’s, or well, maybe Maggie would be at your place? I mean, Lucy said you were at Maggie’s this morning, so I just assumed but… Have you guys like worked out a system, like every other night you switch or maybe every other week? Weekdays at yours, weekends at hers? I know it’s still super new and you know, as far as I’m concerned all you two do is hold hands and play parcheesi, but it’s always good – healthy even – to establish a routine early on.”

Alex turned around at the sound of her sister’s rambling. “Cat called me earlier and told me about your plan, demanding that I talk you out of it. Not that I needed to be convinced; it’s a stupid plan.” Alex crossed her arms. “Also, I haven’t played parcheesi with anyone since you went through that phase in high school.”

“It wasn’t a phase, you just won’t let me play anymore,” Kara grumbled. “And I was going to tell you about the deal with Mxyzptlk myself, that’s” – she spread her arms out, gesturing to the room – “that’s why I’m here.”

“Kara you can’t keep doing this,” Alex said. Ironically enough, those were the same words she’d used when she told Kara no more parcheesi seven years ago.

“Doing what? Being a hero? I have to make the hard choices sometimes, Alex. I can’t keep leaving that to you.”

“You say hero, I say sacrificial lamb! You did the same thing with Myriad. I swear, sometimes it’s like you’re looking for a way out.” Alex wished Kara had found her in the training rooms instead of her lab. She could really use something to hit right now.

“So I’m the self-destructive one here? Haven’t we had this conversation before? Because I vaguely remember finding you at a demolished Cadmus site and having a very similar conversation about your inability to read me in. At least I’m telling you first!”

“That’s different, Kara, and you know it. I wasn’t throwing myself into a minefield without a map. You’re about to jump off into god knows where, with a guy you don’t know, and for what?” Alex’s hands started to tremble.

“For you! For Cat and Carter. For our parents, Alex!” Kara swung around now, facing away from Alex like she wanted to bolt.

Alex blew out a shaky breath and made a conscious effort to lower her voice. “Listen, I don’t want to have a screaming match with you. I just want–” She rubbed at her forehead and took another calming breath. “Let’s just talk about this. You came here to give me your side, and I want to hear it, I promise.”

Kara turned back around, her eyes filled with so much hurt that Alex swore for a second her bones would shatter under the weight of it. “I want you to have the life that you couldn’t have with me here. You could have a good life, a medical career, _love_.”

“Kara, I already have a good life, and I love my job – there’s no amount of gallbladder removals that could thrill me the way a crime scene does, and I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but I’m not doing horribly in the romance department either. I know things with Maggie are still really new, but I like her, a lot. I think maybe someday I could more than like her, and I’m really excited for that. So no redos in that arena.”

“You could… you could have your dad back, Alex.”

“We will have Dad back. _We_ , because I told you when Mxyzptlk first showed up, I will not lose you to make that happen.”

“You wouldn’t even know. It would be like I was never here.”

“There’d be a Kara-shaped hole in my heart; of course I would know. No amount of magic or science or extraterrestrial mojo could ever make me forget you.” She took Kara by the shoulders. “I know you want me to have a good life, a great life, because I want the same thing for you, Kara, I really, really do, but I need you to stop with this ridiculous idea that I can only have that without you.”

Kara didn’t respond. The only indication that she’d heard Alex was a tense shrugging of her shoulders that made her look like she was about to be sucked into a black hole of her own making.

“Kara,” Alex whispered, her eyes filling with tears. “You have been living with the guilt of everyone else’s choices for so long, but you don’t owe anyone anything. You leaving isn’t restitution for the crime you feel you’ve committed by existing.” Alex pulled her in for a hug just as a sob escaped Kara’s body.

“I just thought, if Mxyzptlk could reverse it, everyone could have the life they were meant to, and I could fix my parents’ mistakes.”

“You know what I think?” Alex said, pulling back to wipe at her sister’s face. “I think your parents made some bad choices, and they knew it. They knew in the end what was coming, and they felt guilty about the roles they played, inadvertently or otherwise, in the end of your world. But the one thing that they could never feel bad about, the best thing they ever did, Kara, was _you_. I think you were their way of saying sorry, to your world, to your people, to all the worlds beyond that their actions affected in some way. You keep thinking you have to sacrifice yourself to live up to the mission they gave you, when the truth is, you are the sacrifice. They gave away the best thing they ever had as a gift to the rest of the universe. I know you’re the best gift I’ve ever been given.”

Kara’s shoulders rose and fell unsteadily as she regained her breath. “That still doesn’t fix anything though. We still don’t have a way to stop Mxyzptlk. I’ve been trying all week to get him to say his name backwards, but it hasn’t worked. I even tried reversing it on a tape recorder, but…”

Alex’s head popped up, her feet moving almost of their own volition toward the computer on the other side of the lab. She could still hear Kara chattering on behind her about the different ways she’d tried to trick Mxy so far this week. With a few clicks, Alex pulled up the data she’d been looking for.

“Kara?” she interrupted. “Think you can get to the desert and back in under thirty seconds? I’ll time you.”

***

Forty minutes later, Kara stood with Alex, Winn, and J’onn inside a white-walled cell, with Cat on speakerphone so she could listen in. It was almost identical to the cell Cat had called home those first days after they’d rescued her. The only difference was the blue lights overhead which produced a unique wavelength meant to block any extranormal snooping. It was similar to the technology they’d used for Jemm’s neural blockers the year before, Winn had remotely installed an app on Cat’s phone that would mimic the same technology so she could join the conversation without leaving Carter at the penthouse by himself.

“You bring us here for the ambiance, Danvers?” Winn asked.

“Mxyzptlk has been watching Kara sporadically for the past week. I don’t want to risk him seeing this.” Alex didn’t look up from the laptop she’d brought in with her as she hooked it to a small projector, angling it so it illuminated the furthest wall.

“Really? You brought me in here to show me a picture of a wormhole? I’ve been staring at wormholes all week! I could practically create one myself at this point.”

“No you couldn’t,” Alex said flatly, “but Mxy can. Unlike all of us, he can manipulate his own matter and the matter around him to bend time and space to his will.”

“He can manipulate matter and that’s the face he chooses?” Cat’s voice crackled through the phone, sounding almost offended.

“But if we were able to synthesize his genetic material and splice it just so,” Alex continued, raising her voice pointedly and glaring at the device in Kara’s hand. Kara shrugged and resisted the urge to smile, keeping her eyes on the projection in front of them as Alex pulled out a set of small hexagonal spheres.

“Those look destructive.” Winn whistled with a childlike glee.

“What does it do exactly?” J’onn asked, his shirt rustling as he crossed his arms over his chest.

“It’s a containment field prototype that I created when we were dealing with Bizarro. Kara was concerned about using the altered Kryptonite, so I put this together as a backup. Bizarro took James before I had time to finish it, and I don’t know that it would have worked on her anyway, but I think I can tweak it to work on Mxy.”

“How exactly would it contain him?” Kara asked. Picking up one of the prototypes with her free hand, she turned it over a few times. It looked like a mix between a grenade and a child’s toy.

“I was able to extract some of his genetic material from the gifts he left for you. It’s not DNA exactly, but it’s close enough that I could splice it in a similar way,” Alex said. “When you fought Bizarro, neither of you could overcome the other because you were polar opposites, you stabilized each other. If I can create a mirror copy of Mxyzptlk’s genetic material, we can feed it into this guy,” she added, picking up another sphere, “to create a field where his powers are perfectly matched. If he creates a wormhole, these will force it to collapse the minute he touches it because he’ll be too dense. He’ll essentially be rendered powerless. We just need to get him somewhere we could contain him.”

“It’s safe?”

“Yes, Kara, it’s safe,” Alex told her, turning her gaze to her feet. “There’s always the possibility that it will react negatively with his powers and create a black hole,” she mumbled quickly, “but it’s a smallish chance, like decimals of a chance. It’ll be fine,” she assured. “…Probably.”

“Okay,” Kara said after a beat of silence. “Let’s do it.”

***

“Alex? Hey!” Winn whisper-shouted as she made her way out of the cell. He reached out to tug at her sleeve, forcing her to turn his way. She gave him an annoyed look but stopped anyway, pulling him to the side of the hallway so they wouldn’t be in anyone’s way.

“What is it, Winn?” Alex asked, trying her best not to snap at him. It was late, and she still had a few hours of work ahead of her. There was no time for another one of his attempts to pull one over on one of the other techs.

“I think I may have found a way to keep Henshaw offline but still get at the data in his cybernetics,” he said, still keeping his voice low.

Alex’s head yanked up. “Are you serious?”

“Yeah, I was coming to get you when Kara pulled us in here.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small SD card. “I totally stole some Coluan code to do it, but I think it’s strong enough to bypass Henshaw’s protocols.”

“And it won’t fry his cybernetics?” Alex wasn’t particularly worried about what became of Hank Henshaw, no matter how much Kara thought she should be. With as much destruction Henshaw had rained down, both before and after he became some kind of evil bicentennial man, he didn’t deserve her empathy. But they needed the data from his system, and if they destroyed his cybernetics before they could get it, they would be back at square one. Not to mention she’d promised Kara they’d try their hardest not to break him. Her gaze drifted back to the cell where Kara still stood just feet away chattering into her phone, probably saying good night to Cat. She turned, smiling when she caught Alex’s eye through the glass, before she turned away again. No, Alex couldn’t risk disappointing her right now, not with everything else.

“He’s pretty much comatose right now. Imagine this.” Winn waved the chip in front of her face. “More like a REM sleep, his subconscious open for the taking while his body stays safely locked up.”

“We better hope he’s not a sleepwalker,” Alex quipped, then sighed. “You really think this will work?”

“It’s the best chance we have.” He straightened up, meeting her eye. “Alex, I wouldn’t have brought this to you if I didn’t think it was ready. I know how much this means to you, and I’ve double and triple tested it on the most advanced tech we have available. I even had Vasquez look it over. Short of an extra ten years and a grant program, we’re not going to be able to write anything better.”

“It will need to be isolated. We can’t risk something going wrong and corrupting our servers.”

“If something goes wrong, we’ll all be dead anyway, but you’re right. I have a friend, Rabiah; she can get me clean tech that will be powerful enough to run the program. I won’t be able to get my hands on it until tomorrow, but as soon as I do, we’ll be ready.”

Alex nodded, nervous energy sparking in her veins. She glanced at Kara again. “Tomorrow,” she repeated. “We get rid of Mxyzptlk first, then we go find my dad.”

***

 _“Did you have a good conversation with Alex?”_ Cat asked, a slight trepidation in her voice. Aside from _“I’m putting you on speaker, Alex thinks she has a solution,”_ they hadn’t had a chance to talk since Kara left Cat’s office earlier that day.

“Yeah, yeah I did.” Kara scuffed the toe of her boot into the floor.

_“I’m sorry if it felt like I went behind your back by calling her. You become so determined sometimes to keep the people you love safe – you and your sister are similar in that way. I thought if anybody could understand what you were thinking and feeling, could remind you of how much we need you here with us, it would be Alex.”_

“I was planning on talking to her anyway,” Kara said. “It gave us a chance to get some things out in the open. She said some things I didn’t realize I needed to hear.”

_“Do you feel better?”_

“I do.” Kara’s shoulders relaxed. She spied Alex watching her with concern, and Kara gave her a reassuring smile before focusing back on her conversation with Cat. “I feel better, I feel… grounded, I guess? And I feel…” She swallowed, wondering if she should just drop it, but she knew Cat wouldn’t judge her, wouldn’t make her feel guilty for experiencing her emotions. “I feel sad. I feel really, really sad.”

She heard Cat take a heavy breath. _“I know, darling, I know.”_ For just a minute, neither of them spoke. The silence made Kara feel better, knowing that inside of it lived an understanding without judgement or hurt.

“I know it’s horrible of me, but there was a part of me that was – excited isn’t the right word – I just… to see my parents again and not some AI or dreamed up version of them. To get some of my questions answered. Hear my own language, practice our own traditions. I wanted that,” Kara said. It felt good to finally let the words free. “I don’t think I could feel fulfilled when I know what I can do here, but it was still tempting, you know?”

_“This has been an impossible and unfair situation. It’s okay to mourn the loss of a possibility, especially one you’ve thought about so much.”_

“Yeah.” Kara was about to say more when she caught her sister looking at her again with a seriousness that wasn’t there a few minutes ago. “Hey, I hate to cut this short, but I think Alex needs me for something. I’ll try to make it by the office before your dinner with Adam tomorrow,” she said, already moving toward the door.

_“Call me before that. I want to be kept in the loop about your fifth dimensional stalker.”_

“I’ll keep you up to date,” Kara promised. “Good night, Cat.”

_“Good night, darling.”_

Kara ended the call as her sister approached. “Alex?”

“Winn has something,” was all Alex said, but Kara knew exactly what that meant.

***

“I have to say, sweetness, this place is a little drab for a final goodbye. I personally would have selected something with a little more color, perhaps a little less dust,” Mxy said, speaking before she’d even touched down.

“This is where I landed when I came to this planet. I thought it was only right that it be where I depart.” Kara glanced around at the landscape. It looked almost identical to when she’d touched down nearly fifteen years ago.

“Poetic. I’m charmed and humbled to have been invited here.” He gave a little half bow. “Are you going to introduce me to your guests?” he asked as he righted himself.

Alex and J’onn had come with her to engage the forcefield units. It had taken a gross amount of convincing for Mxy to allow it, but as far as she could tell he wasn’t suspicious about their presence.

Alex scowled as Mxy stepped forward, extending his hand to shake. She made no move to reciprocate, simply staring him down. Kara cleared her throat in an attempt to dispel the tension between them. “I wanted to thank you for letting me bring them.” She gestured to Alex and J’onn. “It means a lot to me to have the chance to say goodbye, and I wanted them to meet you, to see you how I see you. You’re doing as much for them as you are for us.” Kara stepped toward him, placing her hand on his arm and hoping the action came across as tender instead of patronizing.

“Of course, anything for my Kara,” Mxy said after a moment of basking in her affection. “I’m surprised your little pet didn’t want to see you off. I do hope she’s not still upset with me for the way we left things last time.”

 _“Cat.”_ Kara fought to keep the anger out of her voice. Alex placed a hand on her back, relaxing Kara slightly. “She’s disappointed in my decision, so I thought it would be best for her to stay behind. I didn’t want her to upset you. She can’t give me what you can,” Kara said, her voice like syrup, as Alex’s hand slid from her back. She stepped toward Mxy again, grasping his hands in her own. “I didn’t want her to ruin our happiness.”

“Alas, my beloved, you are right again,” Mxy spoke gleefully. He dropped her hands but put an arm around her shoulders instead, and Kara tried not to grimace as she was pulled into his side. Mxy didn’t seem to notice her discomfort, looking instead to Alex and J’onn. “This is a joyous occasion, for both Kara and I, and one that is mutually beneficial. Your lives will be exponentially better with my help.”

“I can see how much you care for her. As much as we’ll miss her, I know how much better off she’ll be by your side,” J’onn said, and Kara cringed. To her ears, J’onn sounded stunted and over-rehearsed. She glanced at Alex, who looked equally concerned.

“J’onn is right,” Alex added, the lie coming across more smoothly from her lips. “You and Kara are going to change the universe. It’s beyond anything we could have ever dreamed for her. We see now how much you love her, and that we can trust you to keep her safe.”

“That is so wonderful to hear.” Whatever suspicion Mxy may have had of J’onn’s bad acting disappeared. “Well then, shall we, my love?”

“Right,” Kara said, pulling away from his embrace. She walked past him, forcing him to turn to be able to hear her. “And how exactly will this work?”

“I’ll start by opening a portal for us to travel through, but you’ll have to hold on tight.” He winked at her. “After all the hard work it’s taken us to get here, I would hate to lose you because of a slip of the hand.”

Kara swallowed, carefully watching beyond him as Alex and J’onn discreetly placed three of the six activators. “I’ve never travelled through a portal before. I must admit, I’m a little nervous.”

“No need to worry, I would never let anything happen to you. Before you know it, we’ll be together in Starhaven. Your parents will be delighted to meet me. I’ve been researching Kryptonian wedding traditions; I’ll create the most magnificent statues of them for the wedding hall.”

“That’s an older tradition actually,” Kara corrected, turning just slightly and praying to Rao he would stay focused on her. “Many modern couples forgo it.” Out of her periphery, she saw Alex and J’onn place the last three activators. Kara had wanted to come early and place them beforehand but without knowing when Mxy was and wasn’t watching her it was too risky.

“One less thing on the to-do list then! I suppose we’ll be free to marry right away. I’ve picked out the perfect color for our bracelets.”

“I’m sure it’s beautiful. We’ll just have to hope no other couple’s already taken it,” Kara said sweetly.

“If they have, I’ll just fix it.” The statement was innocuous enough, but the way Mxy said it made Kara shiver. A dangerous jealousy bled from his eyes, making Kara eager to change the subject. She got her chance as Alex placed the last activator. It was time. “And my friends on Earth?” she asked, rounding him once more to stand beside Alex.

“The moment our feet touch down in Starhaven, everything here will reset itself to how it should be,” Mxy promised. “Your lives are about to become everything you ever dreamed they’d be.”

“Kara,” Alex said, “he’s right, it’s time.”

Kara walked toward her sister, wrapping her in a tight hug. J’onn patted her shoulder, one, two, three.

In the blink of an eye, she and Alex stood ten feet away on the other side of the ring of activators, J’onn kicking up dust as he landed beside them. “Now!” Kara yelled, and Alex flipped the switch on the remote she’d kept hidden on her tac belt.

“And what’s this?” Mxyzptlk walked toward them with a bemused smirk, only to be thrown back when he hit the edge of the forcefield. “Kara! What have you done?”

“I can’t go with you,” Kara said, “and I won’t let you manipulate anyone else.”

“You think this will work?” Mxy smirked. “You have no idea what you’ve just done. The things I’ll do when I get out of here, Kara Zor-El. You wanted to see your parents again? I’ll make that happen, and then I’ll kill them, over and over again, while you watch. You think you watched your world burn once? We are just beginning!” He waved his hand and a wormhole opened. “I’ll just come on over to your side and show you, and my destruction will start with your precious sister.”

“If you go in there, you’ll die,” Kara warned, and his stride slowed. “This forcefield counteracts your ability to bend time and space. That wormhole will be as unstable for you as it would be for any of us.”

“You’re lying,” Mxy snarled.

“She’s not,” Alex confirmed. “I built it myself; the science is sound. You’re heavier than normal, and I know you can feel it. I bet if you tried to conjure something right now, it wouldn’t work.”

Mxy sneered at them and snapped his fingers, but nothing happened. He repeated the move several times before Kara interrupted. “It’s not going to work.”

“I assume you’ll move me, eventually, to a deep dark cell somewhere, where nobody will ever find me, now that you know your little invention won’t suck in half the city.”

“You’ll be contained, _humanely_ ,” Kara stressed the word, “until a better solution can be found.”

“Why would I let you do that, when I could just banish myself right now?” he asked, looking between the three of them.

“You could do that too. You wouldn’t be able to come back, but you would be with your people.” It was the option Kara would have taken in his shoes.

A shadow passed over Mxyzptlk’s face. “No,” he said resolutely. “Your little invention may be strong enough to stop small magic but this” – he gestured behind him to the wormhole that still spun open – “there’s no way you’re powerful enough to stop this. _I_ cannot be defeated. I am more powerful than you know!” He stepped backwards toward the opening.

Kara moved to stop him, but Alex grabbed her arm as Mxy’s foot touched the threshold. He emitted a short scream before he was sucked in and the wormhole collapsed.

For a minute they just stood there, staring at the space where he had been. When nothing else happened, Alex flipped the switch and the forcefield fell, leaving Kara confused and angry.

“Why? Why would he do that?” she demanded, looking between J’onn and her sister. “We told him what would happen. There was a better way! Why would he… why?”

“He thought he was a god,” J’onn said, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. “People like him, Kara, they think they’re untouchable. Even with all the evidence in front of them, they can’t believe that anyone is smart enough to stop them.”

“You gave him options, more than he deserved. _He_ made his choice. We did everything we could,” Alex said softly, rubbing a hand over Kara’s back.

Kara shook her head in disbelief before blowing out an unsteady breath and nodding. “We have to get back,” she reminded them. “The rest of the team is waiting for us.”

***

As soon as their feet touched down at the DEO, the three of them were sprinting to the other side of the building where the rest of the team was waiting for them.

Winn looked up immediately when they entered. “You smell like ego and Axe body spray, yet with a distinct lack of mansplaining happening. Am I correct in assuming Mxyzptlk has been dealt with?”

“He made his decision,” Kara said, bowing her head. Winn started to clear his throat to ask something more, but he was interrupted.

“Are you sure this is safe?” Lucy asked from where she stood in the corner next to Maggie. Kara could have kissed her for the subject change. “There’s no way Henshaw will be able to jump our servers?”

“This entire wing was built to contain Indigo,” Winn explained. “If it could hold her, there’s no way Cyber-Hank will be able to get out.”

“And you’re sure that computer will be strong enough to run the data?” Alex asked.

“Rabiah once broke into the Pentagon with only…” Winn trailed off at the look on their faces. “No she didn’t, that would be illegal. This is a good computer,” he finished with an overly cheery smile and a shrug.

“Then let’s get to it,” Kara said, moving to sit down. There was no telling how long this would take.

***

Kara stepped out about forty-five minutes in to stretch her legs, Winn’s code still struggling to get Henshaw online. There had been a few spurts when it seemed like they were about to get a breakthrough, but so far they’d only been able to grab a few broken bits of code.

The tension in the room was high, and Kara had needed a second to catch her breath. She stopped by the command center to call Cat, reassuring her that she didn’t need to come down there just to watch two supercomputers fight, a show that was not nearly as exciting as it sounded. Cat, still enthusiastic about Mxypzlk’s defeat, agreed to stay put but demanded Kara keep her updated with any new information.

She was just stepping back into the room when Alex jumped up from her chair. “There!” she all but shouted, and Kara strode forward to stand next to her.

“What?” Kara asked.

“Winn, did you get that?” Alex was practically vibrating next to her.

“Oh ye of little faith, you hurt me.” Winn began to pull up the text that had flashed across the screen a moment before, only to stop in his tracks. “Oh shit.” He jumped from his seat, running around to where Henshaw was lying.

“What?”

“Oh shit, oh shit,” he repeated, now beginning to pull at a series of wires connecting Henshaw to the computer.

“Winn! What are you doing?” Alex demanded.

“Saving his life, hopefully.” He turned to look at her, hands still clutched around the wires, as realization dawned on his face. “Oh god, I can’t believe I’m so stupid.”

“Agent Schott.” J’onn’s placed his hands on his hips, towering over Winn.

“Right, um, so you guys remember last year when we took down Indigo the first time? Ya know, before boss man went all rippy?” J’onn continued to scowl and Winn spoke faster. “I wrote that malware to disable Indigo and uploaded it to her system… while she was in a military operated base.” He winced.

“Oh, Winn,” Kara groaned.

“I’m sorry! I didn’t think I’d ever be using Colan code for something like this, and I sure as hell didn’t think anyone in that base would be smart enough to retrieve my own malware.”

“What are you saying?” Lucy crossed her arms over her chest, coming to stand next to J’onn.

“When we fought Indigo last year, I may have accidentally shared some pretty powerful malware with the Army, the only malware powerful enough to disable her system and since I used code I stole from Indigo to create the software to hack into Henshaw’s system…” He shook the wires he held in his hand.

“What does that mean? Can they breach our system?” Alex asked.

“No, I–I don’t think so, no, no they can’t. Like I said, this tech is clean, they won’t be able to jump our servers. It just means they had a failsafe in Henshaw’s system in case we tried something like this. We won’t be able to plug into him again until we figure something else out.”

“Did we at least manage to keep the files you had already pulled?” Alex pinched her nose.

“Yeah, I have back-ups on back-ups.” Winn rounded the desk, typing for a minute before pulling up the document that had caught Alex’s eye a minute ago.

“Are those–”

“Coordinates.” Alex moved to the corner of the room and pulled out a large file folio, frantically flipping through pages until something finally caught her eye. “Here we go.” She moved back toward Winn and handed him a few pages. “Can you pull that up so everyone can see?”

Winn loaded the doc-cam and changed the input on the projector.

“Those are the addresses of the missing aliens we suspect Cadmus took,” Lucy said.

“Winn, turn to the next page,” Alex instructed.

Paper rustled for a split-second before the next sheet displayed.

“Those are locations my captain had me survey for activity,” Maggie told them.

“I made a map with the locations you guys found. There were some gaps and I could only narrow down the geographical profile to a single ward, but if we add in the coordinates that we just pulled from Henshaw…” Alex grabbed a rolled up piece of paper from the same stack where she’d grabbed the file folio.

Kara stepped forward to help her unroll it and tack it to the wall, by the time they turned around, Winn had changed the input back to display the coordinates that initially caught Alex’s eye. Alex made quick work of adding them to the map. “There!” she said, circling a three block radius. “This is their comfort zone. Their base will be somewhere in here, and if he’s as valuable to them as they’ve led us to believe, that’s where we’ll find Dad,” she told Kara.

“Let’s gear up,” Kara said, praying that they weren’t about to be proven wrong.

***

Kara and J’onn had made several flyovers before landing next to a set of DEO vans a few blocks away.

“It’s the warehouse off Turner,” Kara said, earning a nod from J’onn.

“You’re sure? If we move on the wrong location, our cover is blown,” Alex reminded them for the tenth time.

“It’s the only one I can’t see into, and J’onn was picking up neural activity, so we know it’s occupied. That’s the one, Alex.”

“Alright.” Alex nodded, looking to the agents in front of her. “Director Lane, your team will approach from the north, Director Henshaw’s team will approach from the east, Supergirl, your team will approach from the west, and my team will approach from the south. Does everybody have their assignments?”

Waiting for everyone to respond in the affirmative, she motioned for them to disperse, each team leader taking their assigned group to the agreed upon location. A few minutes later, Alex gave the call for them to confirm their position.

“Red team, confirm.” Alex’s voice crackled through her ear piece.

“Red team, active,” Kara responded.

“All teams, move on my count,” Alex directed, “Three, two, one.”

Kara moved her team forward, toward the west side of the building. Keeping an ear out, she listened for the other teams to approach their locations.

“All teams, remember, we’re moving in blind. Be prepared for the worst,” Alex warned. For a few seconds they were surrounded by silence before she spoke again, her voice once again holding the confidence of her rank. “Prepare to breach on my count. Three, two, one!”

Kara surged forward, pulling open the nearest door as quietly as she could before leading her team in.

They were just turning a corner when one of the agents cursed. “Oh shit, we’ve got company.” The outburst was followed by the sound of gunfire, it didn’t take long for all hell to break loose. Overhead, lights started to flash, followed by sirens blaring.

“Alex, what’s happening?” Kara called out as she turned and pushed her team back, not wanting them to go further in and end up trapped.

“Sam Lane and his goons showed up; we must have tripped a silent alarm – Fuck! We have an agent down. Supergirl, we need you!”

Kara got her team outside as quickly as possible. “You stay here,” she told them firmly. “If anyone comes through those doors, you contain them, do you understand?” They all nodded, and she took off to meet her sister.

Upon arriving, she saw Lucy exchanging fire with her own father. Kara jumped in, grabbing wounded agents and moving them out of the line of fire. She spotted Alex and Maggie pressed up against the side of a Jeep, and she flew over and crouched next to them, using her heat vision to push Lane’s men back as much as possible.

“What the hell happened?” Kara asked.

“We were just getting ready to go in when Lane and his men pulled up. Lucy and her team were closest when the gunfire started and came to provide relief. We have at least half a dozen agents injured.” Alex popped up quickly to shoot off a few rounds, landing one in a man dressed in fatigues a few yards away. “If we can hold them off long enough, we may still be able to breach–”

She was cut off by an explosion in the background, and Kara covered Alex and Maggie as fiery debris fell around them. They popped up just in time to see Lillian running across the parking lot, Sam Lane rushing out to meet her and shuffle her into a car.

Kara pushed forward after them, seeing Lucy do the same out of the corner of her eye. She was suddenly knocked off course by what felt like a grenade. It didn’t hurt her, but it slowed her down enough that the car sped away. She looked up from her spot on the ground in time to see Lucy shoot the man who’d brought her down. The rest of Lane’s men started to retreat, there were enough DEO agents still standing to take care of the stragglers.

“I’m going after them,” Kara yelled to Alex.

“No, let them go. We need to get inside.”

Kara debated for a minute. Lillian had taken Cat, tortured her, almost killed her, but Jeremiah could very well still be in the building, stuck somewhere under the rubble.

“Okay,” she said. ”Let’s go in.”

***

“Fuck!” Alex kicked over some rubble in her path as she exited the now-destroyed building. Her foot throbbed where it had come into contact with the heavy piece of rubble, but she ignored it.

“Alex.”

Her sister’s voice was filled with concern, but she couldn’t take it right now. “Leave me alone, Kara.” She kept walking.

This wasn’t supposed to happen. He was supposed to be there. They were supposed to find him, to bring him home. She had known the minute she’d seen those addresses that this was the place, but they’d searched for hours and confirmed that he wasn’t among either the living or the dead inside the building.

“Alex?”

She turned to see Maggie standing in front of her. “I’m sorry,” Alex said, not sure what she was apologizing for, her outburst maybe. It somehow felt heavier than that though, and before she knew it tears were falling freely from her eyes. “I’m sorry,” she repeated.

“Oh, Alex.” Maggie wrapped her arms around her. “You did everything right.”

“I didn’t find him.”

“Maybe he wasn’t here, or maybe he got away,” Maggie said, her voice soothing. “We don’t know anything yet.”

Alex stayed silent, but she grasped Maggie’s shirt tighter in her hands.

“What I do know is that your sister is just as distraught as you are. You shouldn’t push her away right now.”

Alex pulled away, spotting Kara on the phone a few yards from them, looking like she was about to cry. Squeezing Maggie’s hand, she strode off in Kara’s direction.

“No, no, go to dinner. I need to get Alex out of here anyway, before she kills someone.”

Alex cleared her throat, watching as Kara turned.

“Cat? I’ll talk to you later tonight. Just enjoy your dinner, and I’ll let you know if anything changes,” Kara said, hanging up. “Alex?”

Alex pulled Kara into a tight hug, her sister’s tears hitting her shoulder.

“I’m sorry we didn’t find him. I really thought we would.”

Alex squeezed her tighter. “We will,” she said, willing it to be true. “But right now, I could really use a beer.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you thank you THANK YOU for the notes, reblogs, comments and tweets. Your love for the virtual season is noticed in every instance and is very much appreciated by the authors, editors and artists. 
> 
> As we enter this final stretch, please don’t let up on the amazing rate of response. We love hearing your thoughts, however you choose to share them!


	11. NEXT WEEK ON SUPERGIRL VIRTUAL SEASON

---  
  
## NEXT WEEK ON SUPERGIRL VIRTUAL SEASON!

On the run, a poisoned Jeremiah reaches out to Maggie for help.

Just as Alex finds her father, she might lose him forever.

And Cat and Kara take a big step forward.

Don’t miss episode 10 - Uncharted by @dinovia! Beginning Monday on the [Supergirl Virtual Season](http://archiveofourown.org/users/sgvirtualseason)! 

Immense thanks to @reginalovesemma ([ao3](http://archiveofourown.org/users/reginalovesemma) | [tumblr](http://reginalovesemma.tumblr.com)) for the lovely gifset!! You can leave comments about it here, or hit the [tumblr ask box](http://reginalovesemma.tumblr.com/ask). 


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